Digital Forensics (MSCS)
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New Term Starts on January 6, 2025

Master of Science in Digital Forensics (MS)

Overview

The Digital Forensic specialization focuses on demonstrating the required skill set of a Computer Forensic Investigator. Through this specialization, you will learn the various aspects of digital forensics, including investigating network intrusions and mobile forensics. With this specialization, you would qualify as a Digital Forensic Investigator with the government at any level, as well as private industry––both on or leading an incident response team.

Program Summary

LEVEL OF STUDY

Graduate

NUMBER OF COURSES

12 (36 Credit Hours)

DURATION

2 Years – 10-week terms (4 per year)

TERM BEGINS ON

January 6, 2025

MODE OF STUDY

Online (Flexible with Hands-On Experience)

What Our Students Say

EC-Council University has been ranked in the “Top 45 Online Master’s in Internet Security Degree Programs” by Intelligent.com, highlighting our high standards of quality postsecondary education.

Job Roles

  • Forensic Analyst
  • Cyber Crime Investigator
  • Cyber Defense Forensics Analyst
  • Incident Responder
  • Chief Information Security Officer
  • Information Security Officer
  • Chief Security Officer
  • Information Assurance Security Officer

Industry Certifications Included in the Program!

ECCU understands the current need of students to be industry-ready; hence, all of EC-Council’s relevant industry certifications have been included in the various specializations, allowing the student to graduate with not only a Master’s degree, but a string of certifications as well.
Certifications Master’ Degree Courses EC-Council Examination Price ECCU Student Price
ECCU 500 Managing Secure Network Systems $350 + $100 Application Fee Included in the Program
ECCU 501 Ethical Hacking & Countermeasures $950 + $100 Application Fee Included in the Program
ECCU 502 Investigating Network Intrusions and Computer Forensics $500 + $100 Application Fee Included in the Program

Pricing

$540

/Per Credit Hour

Total Tuition Fee: $19, 440

FAQs

Ans. Digital Forensics is a vital part of the cybersecurity industry. In this age of the internet, it is crucial to have a digital forensics expert in an organization. They use investigatory techniques to solve and prevent digital attacks and cyber crimes from affecting a business.

Ans. Cybersecurity aspirants who wish to join the cyber workforce as digital forensics investigators can opt for a Master of Science in Cyber Security (MSCS) degree with a specialization in Digital Forensics from EC-Council University. The degree is designed to help candidates gain skills to help them grow and thrive in their role as a professional computer forensic investigator.

Ans. A digital forensics specialist is responsible for discovering and tracing unauthorized internet access by employees, loopholes, and vulnerabilities in the network. They also need to keep an eye out for any malware incidents such as attacks and intrusions that can help determine how the breach took place and future attacks can be avoided.

Ans. Some of the highest paying digital forensics job roles as per PayScale include – Forensics Engineer ($84,229), Forensic Accountant ($68,924), Cybersecurity Analyst ($80,675), Information Security Specialist ($133,192) and Forensic Computer Analyst ($74,441).

Disclaimer – EC-Council University does not guarantee jobs or salary packages mentioned above. Please refer to the sources mentioned to learn more.

Course Description

ECCU 505 Introduction to Research and Writing

Three Credit Hours

This foundational core course introduces students to basic English writing skills and research methods also including APA style writing, citing sources, determining when a website is credible, effective communication, outlines, and collaboration. Students will write/present portions of the above in the course in various formats.

MGMT 502 Business Essentials

Three Credit Hours

This course will lay a broad foundation of understanding the processes of global business principles  for a varied population of students who work in businesses of all kinds (including the IT and IA fields). It covers the latest changes in Information Technology for Business, including computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), application software, and recent ethical issues arising from IT. Real-life business examples are added throughout the course that reinforce the business principles.

ECCU 504 Foundations of Organizational Behavior

Three Credit Hours

This foundation course deals with organizational behavior and allows the technology practitioner to experience the basic facets of organizational theory and define the skills required to understand and apply the theory to a real organizational setting. Elements of the course are organizational structure, effective communication, team building, ethics, and project management as seen through the organizational lens.

ECCU 516 The Hacker Mind: Profiling the IT Criminal

Three Credit Hours

Cyberspace has increased human communication, connectivity, creativity, capacity and crime by leaps and bounds in the last decade. For all of the positive aspects it offers, it offers as many negative aspects. Those negative aspects are explored and developed by everyone from the high school challenge hacker to an international terrorist. The IT criminal threatens businesses, governmental agencies, militaries, and organizations of every kind. This course will survey the spectrum of psychological attributes that may make up the profile of the IT criminal.

ECCU 514 Leadership and Management in Organizations

Three Credit Hours

This course encompasses an extensive research project about cross-cultural differences in leadership conducted by a group of researchers in 62 countries. It lays a foundation for understanding the process of leadership. The study describes the roles, functions, and impact of global leadership concepts. Many team exercises provide the speed at which leaders must work. Research and views into how most cultures respond to this area of management are provided.

ECCU 500 Managing Secure Network Systems

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on evaluating network and Internet security issues, designing and implementing successful security policies and firewall strategies, and exposing the system and network vulnerabilities and defending against them. Topics include network protocols, network attacks, intrusion detection systems, packet filtering, proxy servers, Bastion hosts and honey pots, hardening routers, hardening security, email security, virtual private networks, and creating fault tolerance.

ECCU 507 Linux Networking and Security

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on configuring a secure Linux network using the command line and graphical utilities. Emphasis is placed on file-sharing technologies such as the Network File System, NetWare’s NCP file sharing, and File Transfer Protocol. Additional topics include making data secure, user security, file security, and network intrusion detection. Students will be required to take on the role of problem solvers and apply the concepts presented to situations that might occur in a work environment.

ECCU 501 Ethical Hacking & Countermeasures

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on how perimeter defenses work, how intruders escalate privileges, and methods of securing systems. Additional topics include intrusion detection, policy creation, social engineering, DoS attacks, buffer overflows, and virus creation.

ECCU 502 Investigating Network Intrusions and Computer Forensics

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on cyber-attack prevention, planning, detection, and incident response with the goals of counteracting cybercrime, cyber terrorism, and cyber predators, and making them accountable. Additional topics include fundamentals of computer forensics, forensic duplication and analysis, network surveillance, intrusion detection and response, incident response, anonymity, computer security policies and guidelines, and case studies.

ECCU 521: Advanced Mobile Forensics and Security

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on the intricacies of manual acquisition (physical vs. logical) and advanced analysis using reverse engineering to understand how popular Mobile OSs are hardened to defend against common attacks and exploits. Topics include mobile forensic challenges and processes, mobile hardware design and architectures, OS architecture, boot process, file systems, threats and security, evidence acquisition and analysis, application reverse engineering, and mobile forensics reporting and expert testimony.

ECCU 517 Cyber Law

Three Credit Hours

This course focuses on the legal issues affected by online criminal conduct and electronic evidence and the legal ramifications of neglecting trademarks, copyrights, patents, and digital rights. Topics include laws, regulations, and international standards; privacy laws governing law enforcement investigations in cyberspace; implications of cybercrimes upon the traditional notions of sovereignty; and current events that affect cyber laws. Prerequisite ECCU 505.

ECCU 519 – Capstone

Three Credit Hours

The Capstone is the summative experience designed to allow students to demonstrate all program outcomes and draw on the knowledge and skills learned throughout the entire program. Students can enroll in the Capstone after successful completion of all core degree requirements but must be within six semester credit hours of graduation. Students must demonstrate attainment of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and have the Registrar approval to registering this class.