Program website:
https://bmcc-cyberprogram.com/continuing-education
Program Explanation & Certificate Pathway
The BMCC Cybersecurity Program is structured as a sequence of four progressive courses. Each course builds on the previous one, and students must complete all four to receive the final certificate. The sequence is designed to take students from foundational, hands-on skills through advanced defensive and offensive cybersecurity operations, culminating in certification preparation.
In this course, learners develop workforce readiness skills and build a foundation for success in cybersecurity-related careers. With video and rich interactive media support, participants learn, apply, and practice cybersecurity knowledge and skills through a series of in-depth, hands-on experiences and simulated activities that reinforce their learning. Cybersecurity Essentials teaches comprehensive cybersecurity concepts and skills at the entry-level, from threat mitigation and defense to post-incident forensics. Learners will progress from basic cybersecurity concepts to experiences in assessing vulnerabilities and risks later in the curriculum.
This program introduces practical skills in ethical hacking and defensive cybersecurity. Modules include:
- Foundations of Cybersecurity: Core principles
- Vulnerability Assessment: Identifying weaknesses
- Penetration Testing: Ethical hacking tools
- Defensive Strategies: Strengthening security
- Capstone Exercise: Simulated practice
The four courses of which this program is composed are:
- Cybersecurity: Immediate Immersion (8 weeks, 120 hours total): Tuition is $2,500 USD
In addition to the tuition fee, you will be expected to purchase a single textbook (Practical Packet Analysis, 3rd edition [by Chris Sanders]).
Financial aid is available for eligible students. See “Is financial assistance available?” for more details.
- Introduces students to SOC analyst skills and foundational cyber techniques.
- Hands-on tasks: exploit & patch a vulnerable website, investigate suspicious employee activity, analyze malicious network traffic.
- Designed for students to “test the waters” of cybersecurity and prepare for more advanced courses.
- Cybersecurity Defense (15 weeks, 375 hours total): Tuition is $6,000 USD
There are no additional expenses associated with this course (no textbooks).
Financial aid is available for eligible students. See “Is financial assistance available?” for more details.
- Focused on SOC and forensic analysis skills.
- Students investigate network intrusions, analyze SIEM logs, perform malware analysis, conduct memory/disk forensics, and compile full incident reports.
- Prepares students for defensive cybersecurity careers.
- CERTIFICATION EXAM — Earning the SECURITY+ credential! (2–8 weeks; time variable depending on student):
Access to a self-paced online course walking CTC program participants through the final phase of their training: the process of preparing for the CSGA CompTIA Security+ certification exam. Access to this certificate preparation course (along with access to mentors familiar with the certification process) is provided free of charge to all program graduates. Required “textbooks” include:The online CSGA preparation course, the online CSGA practice exams (Each may be taken multiple times, and The CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam costs $500 USD to take. Successfully passing this exam is the capstone task of the CTC.
- Prepares students for the CompTIA Security+ (SY0-601) exam.
- Covers exam domains: threats, vulnerabilities, IAM, tools, risk management, cryptography, and design.
- Students complete practice exams and can sit for the Security+ certification exam upon completion.
4. Cybersecurity Attack (15 weeks, 375 hours total): Tuition is $6,000 USD.
There are no additional expenses associated with this course (no textbooks).
Financial aid is available for eligible students. See “Is financial assistance available?” for more details.
- Offensive cybersecurity and penetration testing focus.
- Students reverse engineer binaries, develop exploits, evade antivirus, design custom malware payloads, spearphish, exploit databases, and execute nation-state-level attack simulations.
- Builds on skills from Cyber Defense and is the capstone before certificate completion.
Total Contact Hours: ~990 hours
Certificate Awarded
- Students receive the Cybersecurity Program Certificate only upon successful completion of all four subdivisions.
- Security+ industry certification may also be earned separately if the student sits for and passes the CompTIA exam.
Job Outlook
#1: Healthcare data breaches cost an average of $10.1 million per incident in 2021.
#2: Between 2021 and 2031, the job market for Information Security Analysts is expected to grow by 33%. (According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
FAQs
Will I need prior experience in IT to take this course?
No. But it is recommended to have completed the free 6-hour Into course
Skills for All with Cisco Networking Academy
What kind of job roles will this class prepare me for?
Some of the roles that students of this course should pursue include the skills needed for entry-level jobs, internships, and apprenticeship roles, such as Junior Cybersecurity Analyst, Cybersecurity Technician, Cybersecurity Specialist, and Tier 1 Help Desk Support.
Prerequisites
Learners are expected to have the following skills:
- High school reading level
- Basic computer literacy
- Basic PC operating system navigation skills
- Basic internet usage skills
- Knowledge of TCP/IP networking, including network protocols, services, processes, and basic configuration of networking devices such as routers and switches
Curriculum
Domain One: Endpoint Security
Module 1: Cybersecurity Threats, Vulnerabilities & Attacks – Overview of common threats (malware, phishing, DoS, application attacks).
Module 2: Securing Networks – Current security landscape and attacker profiles.
Module 3: Attacking the Foundation – Vulnerabilities in IP, TCP/UDP protocols.
Module 4: Attacking What We Do – Risks in IP/enterprise services; mitigation strategies.
Module 5: Wireless Network Communication Devices – WLAN threats and secure practices.
Module 6: Network Security Infrastructure – Security devices/services (firewalls, IDS, VPNs).
Module 7: Windows Operating System – Windows history, security features, and monitoring.
Module 8: Linux Overview – Linux basics, shell use, file system, and server administration.
Module 9: System & Endpoint Protection – Defending devices; antimalware, HIPS, app security.
Module 10: Cybersecurity Principles – CIA triad, data states, countermeasures.
Domain Two: Network Defense
Module 11: Understanding Defense – Defense-in-depth, ops management, policies & standards.
Module 12: System & Network Defense – Physical, application, wireless hardening & resilience.
Module 13: Access Control – Concepts, account management, AAA framework.
Module 14: Access Control Lists (ACLs) – Configuring ACLs, IPv4/IPv6 traffic filtering.
Domain Three: Cyber Threat Management
Module 15: Firewall Technologies – Securing networks with firewalls in design & operations.
Module 16: Zone-Based Policy Firewalls – Zones, inspection, and ZPF configuration.
Module 17: Cloud Security – Virtualization, IAM, cloud data/app protection.
Module 18: Cryptography – Confidentiality, hashing, PKI, authenticity.
Module 19: Technologies & Protocols – IDS/IPS, SIEM, and protocol monitoring.
Module 20: Network Security Data – Logs and data sources for monitoring.
Module 21: Evaluating Alerts – Alert sources, classification, and triage.
Module 22: Governance & Compliance – Policies, ethics, and frameworks.
Module 23: Network Security Testing – Assessments, tools (Wireshark, Nessus), penetration testing.
Module 24: Threat Intelligence – OSINT, commercial/government feeds, intelligence services.
Module 25: Endpoint Vulnerability Assessment – Profiling, CVSS scoring, secure device mgmt.
Module 26: Risk Management & Security Controls – Risk assessment, prioritization, security controls.
Module 27: Digital Forensics & Incident Response – Evidence handling, kill chain, response, disaster recovery.
