Cyber Security and Digital Forensics Option, Computer Information Systems | Holyoke Community College

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 15-1299.05

Skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningMonitoringWritingSpeakingSystems EvaluationQuality Control Analysis

Knowledge

Computers and ElectronicsEngineering and TechnologyEnglish LanguageTelecommunicationsCustomer and Personal Service

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionDeductive ReasoningInformation OrderingSpeech RecognitionProblem SensitivityInductive ReasoningNear VisionWritten Expression

Tasks

Identify security system weaknesses, using penetration tests.
Coordinate monitoring of networks or systems for security breaches or intrusions.
Assess the quality of security controls, using performance indicators.

Technology

Internet directory services softwareCloud-based management softwareData base user interface and query softwareExpert system softwareOperating system software

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: medium15-1299.05	Information Security Engineers	title_inference	—	—	—

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: developing (Level 2)(based on Associate's Degree)

Network vulnerability scans — plan and execute recurring assessments using tools such as Nessus or Qualys, interpreting results to prioritize remediation across a mid-size enterprise.
Security breach investigations — conduct structured analyses of detected incidents, correlating log data and forensic artifacts to identify attack vectors and scope of damage.
Penetration test engagements — perform end-to-end tests against web applications and internal network segments with limited oversight, documenting findings in professional reports.
Firewall rule sets and encryption configurations — develop and deploy updated policies for perimeter and cloud-based security controls in alignment with organizational risk posture.
Security awareness training sessions — deliver structured instruction to staff on information security standards and acceptable-use policies across departmental teams.
Incident response strategies — draft and refine response and recovery procedures for common breach scenarios, coordinating containment actions with IT operations teams.
Security control quality assessments — evaluate control effectiveness using defined performance indicators and recommend improvements based on gap analysis findings.
Switch and router security configurations — harden network device configurations and review access-control lists to reduce attack surface in production environments.
Database query tools — interrogate security event databases to extract threat intelligence and produce trend reports for management review.
Cloud-based security management platforms — configure and maintain monitoring policies for hybrid cloud environments, adapting settings as workloads evolve.

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.