Rutgers Cybersecurity Bootcamp

Earner demonstrated proficiency in networking, systems, web technologies, databases, and defensive and offensive cybersecurity. Through assignments and challenges augmented by team projects, experience is gained in methods, techniques, and best practices for accurately conveying the severity of the risks facing an organization’s security posture. Problem-solving skills are learned by researching and applying new skills independently. The course includes a total of 240 contact hours for a total of 24 continuing education units. Earning Criteria -- Network Security: For their first project, students are tasked to collaborate in small groups to build, secure, and protect a cloud application that hosts their own cyber blog. This project results in tangible deliverables that demonstrate knowledge of cloud, cloud security, networking, web development, cryptography, and network security. Students prepare a professional presentation where they demonstrate interview skills by speaking technically about different project features while also explaining the development process. -- Defensive Security: For this project, students work in groups to design a custom monitoring environment to protect a fictional organization. Students use Splunk to research and design a monitoring solution for their fictional organization, then determine whether that monitoring solution will protect their organization from several simulated attacks. Once completed, students showcase their defensive projects with professional presentations. -- Offensive Security: Students work in teams to attack a fictional organization and determine its vulnerabilities. First, students attempt to exploit vulnerabilities on the organization's web application. Next, students attempt to exploit the organization's Linux and Windows servers in turn. The project is structured as a Capture the Flag (CTF) style competition, so that each vulnerability that students exploit correlates with a "flag," and flags are worth various point amounts depending on the difficulty level of the exploit. -- Test Prep and Final Projects: The program culminates with a focus on certification preparation for Security+ and CEH exams. Learners also engage in a final group research project that showcases the skills they've learned in this class. On the final day of class, they give professional presentations of their work at the cyber class conference, bootCon. -- In addition to these projects, students must complete and turn in all but two homework assignments in order to stay eligible for the course certificate.