Information Technology Track - Forensic Studies

As computer technology becomes more complex, the ways to breach computer security also become more complex. Incidents of computer crime are increasing at alarming rates. The Information Technology Track is designed to prepare students to identify, acquire, restore and analyze electronic data and to testify as experts in court. Further, as the use of digital evidence in litigation becomes more prevalent, students will be prepared to assist in litigation support services in the areas of electronic evidence.

Upon completion of the program, a graduate in the Information Technology Track will be able to:

  • Identify corporate liability in handling and preserving electronic data.
  • Perform the steps in evidence collection, handling and preservation.
  • Identify forensic tools and their use in recovering operating systems artifacts and data and the classes of forensic tools and the tasks they perform.
  • Apply the concepts of system policies, auditing and data recovery and perform forensic recovery operations using the latest tool sets.
  • Configure logging utilities to track key events and preserve forensic evidence.
  • Identify the classes of system exploits and the vulnerabilities they attack.
  • Defend the network and system against hacking exploits and evaluate and select appropriate countermeasure products.
  • Design an appropriate recovery strategy, create a disaster recovery plan and develop a plan to test the recovery plan.
  • Develop criteria for comparing Intrusion Detection Systems and firewall products and configure such products to block unwanted transmissions.
  • Synthesize auditing, computer forensic and investigative skills.