Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
Though this course does not have any prerequisites, students are expected to be familiar with basic statistics, business communications, and information technology fundamentals. To review supplemental materials for this prerequisite knowledge, please view the LinkedIn Resources on the RESOURCES: Course Materials page.
Course Materials
- Required Materials: Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy (Ninth Edition) by Mark Lowenthal. This book is available for purchase from the OU Bookstore or through online booksellers.
- Recommended Reading: Network Security Essentials: Applications and Standards (Sixth Edition) by William Stallings.
- There are also numerous supplemental materials and readings. These will be available to you in the course.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Points | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Event Briefs (Group Project) | Group report of three current event topics in cybersecurity and analytics. | 3 at 10 points each | 15% |
| Critical Thinking Discussions | Weekly discussions responding to course materials and projects. | 7 at 10 points each | 15% |
| Collection Strategy Paper | Formal paper collecting source intelligence and reporting on findings. | 100 points | 20% |
| Cyber Defense Lab & Report | Defense scan research and report of findings and recommendations. | 100 points | 20% |
| System Security Plan Presentation | Formal video presentation outlining findings and recommendations from all scans and reports. | 100 points | 25% |
| Participation | Participation and/or make-up responses for Live Sessions. | 40 points | 5% |
| Total | 440 points | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Participation
You can participate in our course by actively engaging with the course materials (readings, videos, activities) and participating in the weekly Live Sessions. Attending the Live Sessions should be your preferred choice. When possible, you should attend and participate in the Live Sessions in real-time.
In the event that your work or personal schedule makes it impossible for you to attend, please review the recording of the Live Session then write a 250-300 word paragraph summarizing the Live Session from your perspective and responding to two posts from the Critical Thinking Discussion. You will have until Sunday at 11:59 PM of the module week to submit your paragraph summary and Critical Thinking Discussion response.
Current Event Briefs (Group Project)
Our class will be divided into small groups. Each group will complete three Current Events Briefs during the course. For each Brief, your group will:
- Select an appropriate current event topic related to each of the three areas of intelligence specialization: cybersecurity, competitive intelligence, and homeland security
- Analyze three articles, one for each intelligence specialization
- Write an executive-level brief of this information
Critical Thinking Discussions
To fully participate in the Live Session, you must actively engage with the course materials. During our time together, I would like to address any questions you may have or related areas of interest. To help facilitate this, you are required to write a 150–200 word response to the week's prompt and connected to this week's topic. Discussion prompts change each week, depending on the module topic. Your prompt response post should reference course material as well as sources, when possible. Your post should demonstrate comprehension of the subject matter at hand. We'll discuss these response posts in our Live Sessions each week. Post your Prompt Response before 12 PM (noon) on Tuesday. This will give me time to review your questions ahead of our Live Session.
Collection Strategy Paper
As an Intelligence Analyst in the commercial world, you would often be asked by your superiors to gather open source intelligence (OSINT) regarding a wide range of topics that impact your company. It would not be uncommon for you to be assigned to collect, process, and analyze information pertaining to the risks associated with traveling or doing business in a foreign country. For this assignment, your boss wants you to complete a brief Collection Strategy Paper (1000 words maximum) on the risks associated with starting a cybersecurity management business in Ukraine. The purpose of this paper is not only to get you to apply the lessons you learned in class but to get you to do something you most likely have not done before in school that has a real-world feel to it.
Cyber Defense Lab and Report
The Cyber Defense Lab includes the linked assignments of the Activity and the Report. The Activity portion of this assignment asks you to complete your scans to gather information to complete your Cyber Defense Report.
Your cyber defense report should be no more than 2,000 words in APA format and should be a deliverable report to your client who will learn about the scans on the target IP or network.
System Security Plan Presentation
For this presentation, you will prepare a System Security Plan (SSP) Presentation and slide deck to present your system security plan based on the Cybersecurity Management, Inc. case study. The SSP synthesizes your learning for the course and therefore may include artifacts discovered from the Collection Strategy Paper, Cyber Defense Lab Report, and/or Risk Assessment Activity. Your SSP presents the current security posture to the organization's stakeholders and employees by describing security controls, procedures, and techniques to deter, detect, and prevent cyberattacks. You will record your presentation to share with your peers and we'll discuss all the presentations during our final Live Session of the course.
Course Policies
Communication
I typically respond to students within 24 hours Monday-Friday and within 48 hours on weekends. I encourage students to contact me again if they haven’t heard from you within your communication windows, as I may not have received their email.
Late Policy
Our course is built so that our assignments build on each other. Assignments will be accepted late with a 10% penalty if submitted before the next Live Session.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Land Acknowledgement
Long before the University of Oklahoma was established, the land on which the University now resides was the traditional home of the “Hasinais” Caddo Nation and “Kirikirʔi:s” Wichita & Affiliated Tribes.
We acknowledge this territory once also served as a hunting ground, trade exchange point, and migration route for the Apache, Comanche, Kiowa and Osage nations. Today, 39 tribal nations dwell in the state of Oklahoma as a result of settler and colonial policies that were designed to assimilate Native people.
The University of Oklahoma recognizes the historical connection our university has with its indigenous community. We acknowledge, honor and respect the diverse Indigenous peoples connected to this land. We fully recognize, support and advocate for the sovereign rights of all of Oklahoma’s 39 tribal nations. This acknowledgment is aligned with our university’s core value of creating a diverse and inclusive community. It is an institutional responsibility to recognize and acknowledge the people, culture and history that make up our entire OU Community.
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalog.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Copyright Statement
Sessions of this course may be recorded or live-streamed. These recordings are the intellectual property of the individual faculty member and may not be shared or reproduced without the explicit, written consent of the faculty member. In addition, privacy rights of others such as students, guest lecturers, and providers of copyrighted material displayed in the recording may be of concern. Students may not share any course recordings with individuals not enrolled in the class or upload them to any other online environment.
Academic Integrity
As a member of the OU community, it is your responsibility to protect your educational investment by knowing and following the rules. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
Academic honesty is incredibly important within this course. Cheating is strictly prohibited at the University of Oklahoma, because it devalues the degree you are working hard to get. Should you know of someone else engaging in academic misconduct, please report it to your instructor or directly to the Office of Academic Integrity. Your instructor has a professional obligation to report academic misconduct.
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
Religious Observance
It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to reschedule examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays, without penalty. [See Faculty Handbook 3.15.2].
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is committed to supporting students with disabilities to ensure that they are able to enjoy equal access to all components of their education. This includes your academics, housing, and community events.
If you are experiencing a disability, a mental/medical health condition that has a significant impact on one or more life functions, you can receive accommodations to provide equal access. Possible disabilities include but are not limited to learning disabilities, AD(H)D, mental health, and chronic health. Additionally, we support students with temporary medical conditions (broken wrist, shoulder surgery, etc.) and pregnancy.
To discuss potential accommodations, please contact the ADRC at 730 College Avenue, (phone) 405-325-3852, or adrc@ou.edu.
Title IX Resources
Anyone who has been impacted by gender-based violence, including dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, harassment, and sexual assault, deserves access to resources so that they are supported personally and academically.
The University of Oklahoma is committed to offering resources to those impacted, including: speaking with someone confidentially about your options, medical attention, counseling, reporting, academic support, and safety plans. If you would like to speak with someone confidentially, please contact OU Advocates (available 24/7 at 405-615-0013) or another confidential resource (see "Can I make an anonymous report?").
You may also choose to report gender-based violence and discrimination through other means, including by contacting the Institutional Equity Office (ieo@ou.edu, 405-325-3546) or the police (911).
Because the University of Oklahoma is committed to the safety of you and other students, I, as well as other faculty, Graduate Assistants, and Teaching Assistants, are mandatory reporters. This means that we are obligated to report gender-based violence that has been disclosed to us to the Institutional Equity Office. This includes disclosures that occur in class discussions, writing assignments, discussion boards, emails, and during Student/Office Hours.
For more information, please visit the Institutional Equity Office.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Mental Health Support Services
If you are experiencing any mental health issues that are impacting your academic performance, counseling is available at the University Counseling Center (UCC). The Center is located on the second floor of the Goddard Health Center, at 620 Elm Rm. 201, Norman, OK 73019. To schedule an appointment, call 405-325-2911. For more information, please visit the University Counseling Center.
Final Exam Preparation Period
Pre-finals week will be defined as the seven calendar days before the first day of finals. Faculty may cover new course material throughout this week. For specific provisions of the policy please refer to OU's Final Exam Preparation Period policy.
Required Policies for Students On Campus
Emergency Protocol
During an emergency, there are official university procedures that will maximize your safety.
Severe Weather: If you receive an OU Alert to seek refuge or hear a tornado siren that signals severe weather:
- Look for severe weather refuge location maps located inside most OU buildings near the entrances
- Seek refuge inside a building. Do not leave one building to seek shelter in another building that you deem safer. If outside, get into the nearest building.
- Go to the building’s severe weather refuge location. If you do not know where that is, go to the lowest level possible and seek refuge in an innermost room. Avoid outside doors and windows.
- Get in, Get Down, Cover Up.
- Wait for official notice to resume normal activities.
Additional Weather Safety Information is available through the Department of Campus Safety.
Severe Weather Preparedness Video
Armed Subject/Campus Intruder
If you receive an OU Alert to shelter-in-place due to an active shooter or armed intruder situation or you hear what you perceive to be gunshots:
- Avoid: If you believe you can get out of the area without encountering the armed individual, move quickly towards the nearest building exit, move away from the building, and call 911.
- Deny: If you cannot flee, move to an area that can be locked or barricaded, turn off lights, silence devices, spread out, and formulate a plan of attack if the shooter enters the room.
- Defend: As a last resort fight to defend yourself. For more information, visit:
OU's Emergency Preparedness site
Shots Fire on Campus Procedure
Fire Alarm/General Emergency
If you receive an OU Alert that there is danger inside or near the building, or the fire alarm inside the building activates:
- Leave the building. Do not use the elevators.
- Know at least two building exits
- Assist those that may need help
- Proceed to the emergency assembly area
- Once safely outside, Notify first responders of anyone that may still be inside the building due to mobility issues.
- Wait for official notice before attempting to re-enter the building.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|