Election Security (IT 425 DL1)

Fall 2022. Online

Dr. Massimiliano Albanese, Department of Information Sciences and Technology

Contact Info. Email: . Phone: (703) 993-1629.

Office Address. Research Hall, Suite 417, Fairfax Campus.

Office hours. By appointment via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Emails receivd M-F will be responded within 48 hours.

 

George Mason University

COURSE Description

Fair and secure elections are essential to democracy. Voting systems are as much a part of our nation’s critical infrastructure as are transportation, energy, and water systems. Thus, the importance of securing state and local voting systems that support both national and local elections cannot be underestimated.

This course provides an overview of the historical, cultural, and political significance of voting, the technical issues of securing election processes, and careers in service for public good. The course covers typical election system infrastructures, their operation, and the voting systems security guidelines and locality election security standards set by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Topics include risk assessment of registrar information systems, analysis of system and network documentation for accuracy, software patches, systems updates, configuring and deploying appropriate security software, and ensuring compliance with best practices in securing systems. This course may be taken independently or as the required gateway course for the Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP).

Course flyer

Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program

CAE Community LogoThe Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP) is managed by a coalition of Commonwealth of Virginia Universities and Colleges partnering with the Virginia Department of Elections and industry to educate students about protecting critical infrastructure including our election and voting systems. The university network is led by the University of Virginia and includes George Mason University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Tech. This initiative is funded by National Security Agency within the scope of the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Program.

VA-CNIP interns provide cybersecurity support services to local election offices in Virginia during a 10-week paid internship. The program was estabilished in the 2021-2022 Academic Year and the first cohort of VA-CNIP interns supported 14 Virginia localities in Summer 2022.The program includes a 2-day kickoff meeting at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and 10 weeks of hybrid in-person and remote activities during the summer.

This course is a prerequisite to apply for the Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program. Students will be offered extra credits for attending select CAE Tech Tallks.

Course Goals

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

Prerequisites

IT 223: Information Security Fundamentals.

Course Expectations

Online Learning Community

This online course is taught via Blackboard Courses (log into myMason, select the Courses Tab, and the course can be found in the Course List). This course is offered completely online. In our online learning community, we must be respectful of one another. Please be aware that innocent remarks can be easily misconstrued. Sarcasm and humor can be easily taken out of context. When communicating, please be positive and diplomatic. You are encouraged to learn more about Netiquette.

Course Format

The course will employ lectures by the instructor and invited speakers, quizzes and a midterm exam to assess progress, homeworks assignments, and a final exam.

Textbooks and Reading Materials

Readings to be assigned from Internet-accessible resources or posted on Blackboard under Course Content in the respective weekly folders. Each reading will be marked as either required or recommended.

Course Schedule

Below is an outline of the weekly course modules

Course Tools

The following tools will be used in this course:

Additional Resources & Information

Below is a list of additional and useful resources.

Grading Policy

Grading will be based on homework assignments, quizzes, class participation, a midterm exam, and a final exam.

Students will be held responsible for all material covered in the course. Exams are administered during the dates specified in the course schedule. Failure to take any exam during the exam window or to submit an assignment by the due date will result in a score of zero, unless cleared in advance with the instructor and arranged for a makeup plan.

Final Grades are non-negotiable, and cannot be disputed once posted. Any request to adjust grades after they have been posted will be denied unless the student can present evidence that the instructor made an error.

Assessment Components Allocation

Assessment Component Points
Homework Assignments: 6 assigments @ 5 points each 30
Quizzes: 5 quizzes (5 points each) 25
Class participation: discussion forum closes on the last day of class, 12/03/2022 5
Midterm Exam: online from 10/07/2022 to 10/09/2022 20
Final Exam: online from 12/09/2022 to 12/11/2022 20
Total 100

Letter Grades by Point Range

Point range Letter grade
97 - 100 A+
93 - 96 A  
90 - 92 A- 
87 - 89 B+
83 - 86
80 - 82 B-
77 - 79 C+
73 - 76 C
70 - 72 C-
60 - 69 D  
  0 - 59 F