Summer 2026 | CIS-2265-VO01 - Cyber Defense and Network Security

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Todd Ponto
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Deb Grant

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

In this course, students develop concepts, knowledge, and skills for enterprise network management and security. This course covers network and security concepts found in the CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certifications including configuration and management of network devices and services for Enterprise networks. Current risks and threats to computer systems, networks, and the information held and transmitted within are examined. Applied strategies and practical techniques used in cyber defense to protect systems and the information stored and transmitted are explored through a variety of activities. Prerequisite: Principles and Management of Cybersecurity, System Administration. Recommended prior or concurrent learning: Advanced System Administration.

Essential Objectives

1. Identify risks and threats to enterprise networks.
2. Discuss network protocols, layers, services, and associated vulnerabilities.
3. Describe the stages of penetration testing: reconnaissance, scanning, vulnerability assessment, exploits, reports, and related tools, and perform lab activities.
4. Demonstrate how to configure, manage, and secure enterprise network services, infrastructure, end nodes, routers, firewalls, IDS/IPS, DMZ, and segmentation.
5. Develop and present an enterprise cyber-breach response plan based on industry best-practices and case studies.
6. Design Defense-in-Depth (DiD) technical solutions for network security including authorization, access control, encryption, and input sanitization.
7. Identify and discuss the role of digital forensics in security and incident response.
8. Explain the risks and implications of cyberterrorism and how to minimize and mitigate incidents.
9. Analyze how security policies and procedures are assessed, developed, implemented, and modified in response to emerging cyber risks.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Summer 2026 textbook details will be available on 2025-12-01. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

CIS-2265-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Allowed: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges technology, including generative AI, plays a supportive role in learning and feedback. During our class, we may use AI writing tools such as ChatGPT in certain specific cases. You will be informed as to when, where, and how these tools are permitted to be used, along with guidance for attribution. Any use outside of these specific cases constitutes a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

There has been a significant increase in the popularity and availability of a variety of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including ChatGPT, Sudowrite and others. These tools will help shape the future of work, research and technology but when used in the wrong way, they can stand in conflict with academic integrity at Community College of Vermont (CCV).

The Community College of Vermont is committed to fostering a community in which academic integrity is recognized and practiced by all. Such a community requires its members to act with honesty and fairness, and to uphold the standards associated with learning, inquiry and civil discourses, such as acknowledging the contributions of other people or entities. Failure to do so may result in plagiarism, which is defined as the presentation of the language (words and structure), ideas, work, or thoughts of another person or entity as one's own work in the preparation of a paper, laboratory report, presentation, test, or other activity or assignment. Failure to abide by the stated guidelines of an exam or other evaluative exercise may also result in a violation of academic integrity.

All members of the College community are expected to understand their responsibility to act with integrity and to seek assistance and/or clarity when uncertain.

Any student found to have violated academic integrity may be subject to disciplinary action, which could range from further education on academic integrity to suspension or dismissal.

To maintain a culture of integrity and respect, these generative AI tools should not be used to complete any assignment, including discussion questions. The use of AI tools is to help augment your own words and ideas.

Methods

• Discussion Forum
• Videos
• Online Simulated Labs
• Quizzes
• Plan and Policy Development
• Exams

Evaluation Criteria

Assignments are weighted by group:

Group			Weighted
Discussions			25%
Labs			25%
Quizzes			10%
Final Exam			20%
Assignments			20%
Total			100%

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Participation Policy

Please read this policy and contact the instructor if you have any concerns or questions.

In this class, we will all be considered lifelong learners and partners in each other's success. For the course to be successful, you need to participate.

If you are sick or have some justified conflicting reasons that your class work for a week will be late, please reach out to the instructor ahead of time so that we can come up with a plan.

I may be the instructor, but things come up last minute for me as well. If you become sick or are sent on travel for work, please still reach out to the instructor as soon as possible so we can devise a reasonable solution.

As this is an online-only course, participating in the weekly activities will be a large part of your grade. We will have discussion questions almost weekly that you will need to post to and respond to two of your classmates' posts each week.

Class participation for weeks with discussion questions will be based on you providing an initial posting and your responses to a classmates.

Failure to participate for three weeks, which does not include the students that worked out a plan with the instructor, will cause all assignments during this time to receive zero points. Understand having assignments with zero points will affect your grade in a negative manner.

Weekly readings are assigned to help you prepare for the discussion questions and the weekly quizzes.

There will be weekly quizzes and labs to complete.

There will be a course project and a final exam.

Participation is key to passing this course.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late Work Policy

Please read this policy and contact the instructor if you have any concerns or questions.

All work should be submitted on time. The instructor will review and grade assignments within 48 to 72 hours of their due date.

As a student, you are responsible for your success or failure. As the instructor, I will do everything possible to help you succeed.

If you know that you are having an issue with a due date or assignment, please do the following:

1. Determine why you are having this problem, then
2. Contact the instructor and propose a solution or plan to address the problem

All work not submitted by the due date will be considered late. Late submissions will be accepted; however, they will incur a penalty. Work submitted after the deadline may receive a 10% grade point deduction for each day following the due date.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

Apply Now for this semester.