Norwich University MSISA Progress

fullcrowmoon

MickyDee wrote: »

I am starting Norwich's program on September 5th; just finished the online orientation. Since there are many members that are going to be finished with this program soon, I am wondering if you have any advice for somebody who isn't really that tech savvy and what you would have liked to known prior to starting this program? I'm about to sit for the Security+ exam soon, but aside from that and various readings, I don't have that strong of a background in the material.

If you can pass the Security+ exam then that will help. How much of a technical background do you have? The assigned readings don't always match up very well with what the current paper or exam is about so you need to dig around. Make sure you use the Norwich library! It's wonderful. Also Google Scholar.

FSF150

If you have enough of an interest in the material to sign up for an MS in it, you'll do fine. Norwich is kind of a writing clinic where the subject is information security. I'm same basic background as you, worked a high-level information assurance role and have recently completed Sec+. I'm above water, though if you have any cybersecurity engineer buddies try to set up an hour or so with them each week. I learned the most when I sat down with a co worker and said "I'm studying X this week, can I pick your brain?"

Do the assigned readings and you'll do fine. SANS Institute publishes many relevant papers as well, I usually cite at least two from there each paper.

I'm probably about to get my first B+ for a class in this program so far, but it's less due to my background and more because I believe that anything can be explained in a couple hundred words, tops. My (academic) writing suffers for it.

FSF150

Congrats everyone, another class down.

I just submitted a horrible excuse for a final paper. Hope I have better luck next class, I got lost when we hit the subject of risk assessments and never quite recovered.

On to Analytics and Management. Any chance you all found that class to be easier to write for?

One left in the core...

fullcrowmoon

Final Grades for this last class came in.

My current scorecard:
GI512 Foundations & Historical Underpinnings of Info Ass - A
GI522 Info Ass Tech - A
GI532 Human Factors & Managing Risk - A
GI542 Info Ass Mgmt & Analytics - A
GI562 Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing I - In Progress
GI563 Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing II - TBD

I'm stoked to be in the last third of the program. I'm really ready to be done. CISSP in 2015, CISM in 2016, and MSISA in 2017 is the plan I'm following. My employer already knows that I'm expecting some changes when I get that last set of letters after my name!

FSF150

Wonderful, congrats! I got my first B (deserved lower). Definitely a different ball game when you don't have the labs to pad your grades.

On to analytics!

Rumblr33

Pulled another A from Information Assurance Technology. All of this writing is for the birds. I guess in Human Factors and Managing Risk there will be no labs. I was approved by my employer to take SANS SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, Exploits and Incident Handling in preparation for the GCIH. This SANS course will be during the third week of Human factors, which I am betting the first paper is due. Oh well, this is all about an investment in myself and my career. Glad to see everyone is pushing along.

fullcrowmoon

Has anyone in the thread taken the Vuln Mgmt and Pen Testing concentration? I'd like to hear about what you've experienced so far. My cohort has 6 people going into Vuln Mgmt, 2 going into Project Mgmt, and 2 going into Cyberlaw.

FSF150

Rumblr33 wrote: »

Pulled another A from Information Assurance Technology. All of this writing is for the birds. I guess in Human Factors and Managing Risk there will be no labs. I was approved by my employer to take SANS SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, Exploits and Incident Handling in preparation for the GCIH. This SANS course will be during the third week of Human factors, which I am betting the first paper is due. Oh well, this is all about an investment in myself and my career. Glad to see everyone is pushing along.

For what it's worth, I found the first paper topic to be the easiest one to write about, as it's focusing on operational controls. I struggled in the latter half of the class once we got going on risk assessments. Risk in general could be a degree by itself, so there's a lot to absorb.

Congrats on the IA tech "A"!

FSF150

First papers coming up. The break was nice - hope everyone is doing well.

So far I'm enjoying Mgmt & Analytics due to the volume of material. The first paper has enough possible avenues that I'm not sure where to cut, and that's a pleasant change.

snakeuptilit

Finally finished up the degree last month... Feels weird not to have to weekly discussions.

fullcrowmoon

snakeuptilit wrote: »

Finally finished up the degree last month... Feels weird not to have to weekly discussions.

Congratulations! What was your concentration?

snakeuptilit

thank you! Vulnerability Management.

Rumblr33

How was the course work for the Vulnerability Management concentration? My manager is trying to get me to switch programs since I am on the Incident Response team. I don't think I will. I will use SANS courses to fill the gaps for forensics and incident response. How is the progress everyone is making? Pushing through this Human Factors and Managing Risk.

snakeuptilit

Rumblr33 wrote: »

How was the course work for the Vulnerability Management concentration? My manager is trying to get me to switch programs since I am on the Incident Response team. I don't think I will. I will use SANS courses to fill the gaps for forensics and incident response. How is the progress everyone is making? Pushing through this Human Factors and Managing Risk.

Course work for the Vulnerability Management concentration was excellent. Plenty of technical labs, exams, and projects. Additionally, it had much less writing, which is something I definitely did not like to do so it was a perfect fit for me.

Rumblr33

Very good to know. Congratulations on completing the degree.

Rumblr33

This term is almost over. How's everyone doing? I will be glad when Human factors and managing risk is completed for sure. FullCrowMoon, how's the Vulnerability management course going? Is it as writing intensive as the other courses? Look forward to hearing from everyone plugging away.

FSF150

Analytics is actually more of a fun course than I was expecting. Metrics & management techniques. Big fan of the professor I've got this term too.

Can't wait to hear about vulnerability management. I'm so ready to be done with these papers and start scripting some fun stuff.

MickyDee

I am about to finish up the first class. There really isn't much technical material so far, and I haven't seen any of the labs that have been mentioned in earlier posts. Just quizzes, discussion posts, and the papers.

FSF150

MickyDee wrote: »

I am about to finish up the first class. There really isn't much technical material so far, and I haven't seen any of the labs that have been mentioned in earlier posts. Just quizzes, discussion posts, and the papers.

Sorry to hear that, I think they've been adjusting the curriculum since I started. For some reason I think the labs were unpopular. I'd prefer a lab to a paper any day.

Congrats on the first class though. It feels like I just started, and I'm about to be done with the core!

Edit: Vulnerability management peeps - what books did Norwich provide for your classes?

FSF150

That's it, year 1 down. Burnout has been reached

I'm really looking forward to starting the concentration though. Should be a strong finish. Hope everyone is doing well.

MickyDee

I have the first class in the bag. That final paper is no joke; at least I know to start working on it throughout the course instead of doing it that final week to save myself some grief.

fullcrowmoon

Rumblr33 wrote: »

This term is almost over. How's everyone doing? I will be glad when Human factors and managing risk is completed for sure. FullCrowMoon, how's the Vulnerability management course going? Is it as writing intensive as the other courses? Look forward to hearing from everyone plugging away.

I turned in my last lab on Saturday and now I'm just waiting for my final grade, which I'm pretty sure is going to be an A. This first Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing class was all labs, all the time, along with the discussion posts. I'm curious to see what the second (and final) class will be like. I have an idea that we'll be working more on creating a completely vulnerability assessment document, along with some labs.

I finish classes at the end of February 2017, and do my residency in June 2017, and then I'll be done and graduated, whoo-hoo!

My current scorecard:
GI512 Foundations & Historical Underpinnings of Info Ass - A
GI522 Info Ass Tech - A
GI532 Human Factors & Managing Risk - A
GI542 Info Ass Mgmt & Analytics - A
GI562 Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing I - A
GI563 Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing II - TBD

Rumblr33

That will be a great feeling to be done. I cannot wait. I will see you all at the residency in June while in the middle of my last class. Should be fun. Anyone participating in the Hackathon the week before residency?

fullcrowmoon

Rumblr33 wrote: »

That will be a great feeling to be done. I cannot wait. I will see you all at the residency in June while in the middle of my last class. Should be fun. Anyone participating in the Hackathon the week before residency?

I decided against the Hackathon for work reasons.

FSF150

I expressed interest, not certain yet. We'll see how class one goes. Even after six months of it I doubt I'll really qualify as a "hacker".

Rumblr33

I view it as practice, if anything. I spoke to my Director and he stated we could work something out maybe as training for that week. I am by no means am a "hacker" either but I am curious and with time and perseverance, anything can be accomplished. By this time, I should have the eJPT and GCIH to help with the knowledge and also the Vulnerability and Pen. Testing courses.

FSF150

Got the Norwich books, very excited since one of them had been sitting in my amazon cart for months anyway. Haven't been this excited to start a class since... ever? Looking forward to the next six months.

Rumblr33

Which books are you referring to? Are these the books for the first Vulnerability Management and Penetration Testing class?

FSF150

Rumblr, that's right. Metasploit: The Penetration Testers Guide and Managing a Network Vulnerability Assessment.

I see we'll all be working through VM's but I also bought a surplus laptop for $150 and threw Kali on it to start teaching myself some things.

Rumblr33

Awesome!! I cannot wait. Looking forward to your post about your experience in these classes.