MS in Cybersecurity
Utica College's M.S. in Cybersecurity – Malware Analysis specialization introduces students to the nuances of finding and mitigating malware to defend against and recover from targeted attacks. Malware is a growing threat to organizations, as advances in technology and inter-connectivity, have increased the sophistication and intensity of cyber attacks. Malicious code can compromise both the hardware and software integrity of a computer or network and cause these to behave in undesirable ways. Malware technologists need to be able to think like a malware author and have the requisite expertise to address cybersecurity problems and protect the organization.
In the Malware Analysis specialization, students learn the specialized techniques to understand the characteristics of real-world malware and reverse engineer this malicious software to determine what it does, who it talks to, and how to defend against it.
Hands-On Labs, Online Convenience
Through this malware analysis curriculum, students gain a deep understanding of the technical methods of malicious code, and learn how to write antivirus signatures that reinforce defenses against cyber threats. Discussions and virtual hands-on exercises demonstrate an understanding of cyber-attack methods and techniques (including malware). Students will apply cybersecurity and risk management tools, techniques and technologies to a wide variety of cybersecurity problems.
The Malware Analysis Laboratory located in a secure, controlled lab at Utica College is designed to safely analyze suspect malware and houses over 100 GB of recent malware samples. Many of the tools used in the lab by our cyber faculty to conduct real-world research and analysis on malware are also available to students in the online malware analysis specialization.
Malware Analysis Tools
How do computer security software companies determine the presence of malware and send out alerts on anti-virus definitions? How are Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) created to identify which computers are infected? Students will use state-of-the-art malware analysis tools and environments, such as Ida Pro, Olly Dbg, INetSim, and Sandbox analysis to perform malware analysis, understand incident response and triage the network.
Malware Analysis Careers
No matter the size of the organization, one of the most important considerations for Cybersecurity is to understand how, rather than if, an attack will occur. How well organizations will withstand and come through cyber attacks largely depends on how much time, testing, and refining is invested in this preparation phase to understand and mitigate potential threats.
Careers in Malware analysis are in high demand as this skillset is needed in every sized company. Job titles include
- Malware Analyst
- Reverse Engineer
- Cyber Incident Response Analyst
- Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Intrusion Intelligence Analyst
Find out if the Malware Analysis specialization of this master's program is the one for you: request more information or call us today at 315.732.2640 or toll-free 866.295.3106 to speak to a Program Manager.