Nova Southeastern University

 

Academic Programs Encourage Research in Information Assurance/Security

IA-related research is a major component of the initiatives underway at NSU.  Graduate students in both the master’s and the Ph.D. programs are encouraged to be actively involved in the numerous IA-related research efforts in the university.

Within the course work of the graduate-level concentrations and degree programs at the Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences are several courses where students engage in information assurance research. The M.S. in Information Security program has a capstone project course, shared by the concentration in the M.S. in Computer Information Systems (MCIS); the concentration in the M.S. in Management Information Systems (MMIS) also has a capstone project course. Many doctoral courses throughout the programs in information systems, computer information systems, and computer science require students to do IA research. All these courses are listed below.

MMIS/MCIS 623 – Legal and Ethical Aspects of Computing
MCIS 687 – Information Security Project
MMIS 687 – Information Security Project
DCIS 730 – Network Security
DCIS 830 – Research in Network Security
DCIS 765  Secure Systems Analysis and Design
DCIS 865 – Research in Secure Systems Analysis and Design
DCIS/DISS 775 – Privacy
DCIS/DISS 875 – Research in Privacy
DISS 755 – Information Security Management
DISS 855 – Research in Information Security Management
DISS 765 – Managing Risk in Secure Systems
DISS 865 – Research in Managing Risk in Secure Systems
DISS 770 – Information Policy
DISS 870 – Research in Information Policy
CISD 755 – Database Security
CISD 855 – Research in Database Security
CISD 765 – Cryptography
CISD 865 – Research in Cryptography
CISD 775 – Network Security
CISD 875 – Research in Network Security

Completed Dissertations in Information Assurance/Security

In addition to the research explored through courses, many doctoral students research IA topics for their dissertations. Those dissertations are listed below.

2008

Sandra Blanke
A study of the contributions of attitude, computer security policy awareness, and computer self-efficacy to the employees' computer abuse intention in business environments.

Okey Igbonagwam
The contribution of security clearance, users' involvement, and computer self-efficacy in the efficiency of requirements-gathering process: An information-systems case study in the U.S. military.

Randy Melton
Monitoring QoS in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

2007

Tamer Aboualy
Design, Development, and Implementation of a Public Key Cryptosystem for Automated Teller Machines: The Toronto Dominion Bank Case Study

Isaac Gabriel
Perceptions of Online Risks

Jacob Hornsby
An Empirical Investigation of the Effects of Discounting on Privacy Related Decisions.

2006

Glyn Gowing
Emergent Behavior in Autonomous Software Agents for Intrusion Detection

Joanne Kuzma
Privacy Policies: A Study of Their Use Among Online Canadian Pharmacies

Cathrine Linnes Metcalf
Applying Decision Theory to Quantify the Cost of Network Security Risk

Kriangsak Pukawan
The Attitudes and Preferences of Internet Users in Thailand Toward Online Privacy Rights

Helen Schneider
A Case Study of Information Assurance Field Experience

Glenn Stout
Improving the Decision Making Process for Information Security Through a Pre-Implementation Impact Review of Security Countermeasures

Seong Yu
Proactive Software Rejuvenation Model Augmented with Software Replication for Rejuvenation Transparency to Clients in a Single Computer Environment

2005

Tracy Christofero

Information Privacy as Required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA): Awareness and Barriers to Compliance as Experienced by Small Health Care Practitioners in Rural West Virginia

Luis Gonzalez
A Self-Adaptive Negative Selection Approach for Anomaly Detection

Jeff Kane - Energy Management as Applied to Ad Hoc Routing Protocols

George Thurmond
Securing State Level Digital Government Public Key Infrastructure: A Survey of Security Requirements for the Evolving State-level Digital Government.

Richard Yun Wang
A New Statistical Approach for Anomaly Intrusion Detection Based on Short-term Profile Data

2004

James Ransome
Wireless Integrated Secure Data Options Model for Converged Network Security

Albert Fundaburk
The Education of Information Security Professionals: An Analysis of Industry Needs vs. Academic Curriculum in the 21st Century

Michael Mccarthy
An Architecture for Implementing Fine-Grained XML Document Security Using Web Services

Karen Nard
Improving Information Systems Security through Management Practices: A Non-Technical Approach

Carol Woody
Applying Security Risk Management to Internet Connectivity in K-12 Schools

2003

Randy Justice
Inferential Disclosure Limitation in Multivariate Categorical Databases

John Lombardi
Securing Web Based Transaction Services

2002

Dennis Bauer
An Evolution Strategy for the Optimization of Network Traffic to Detect Anomalous Behavior

James Dollens
Intrusion Detection via Computer System DNA

2001

David Jacobs
An XML Based Authorization Framework for Web-based Applications

2000

James Cannady
An Adaptive Neutral Network Approach to Intrusion Detection and Response

Lawrence Grosberg
Improving Security and Performance of General Cryptosystems Based upon Shannons Perfect Secrecy and Message Prioritization

1999

Archie Addo
An Expert System for the Selection of Electronic Payment Systems Based on Organizational Security Requirements

Donald Lemma
A Theoretical Model for a Prescription Drug Public Key Cryptographic System

The graduate programs at GSCIS contain several standalone courses that enable students not enrolled in IA concentrations to gain exposure to information assurance as part of their graduate course of study. 

The following courses require students to complete a research paper or project.

CISC 654 / MCIS 652 – Information Security (CS and CIS master’s degree students)

MMIS 652 – Information Security (MIS master’s degree students)

Of course, students in other courses (like computer networking, artificial intelligence, software engineering, e-commerce, distributed systems, etc.) also complete projects and papers in IA-related areas.