Jonathan Weissman Headshot

Jonathan Weissman

Principal Lecturer

Department of Cybersecurity
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences

Office Location
Office Mailing Address
100 Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623

Jonathan Weissman

Principal Lecturer

Department of Cybersecurity
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences

Education

BS, College of Staten Island; MA, Brooklyn College

Bio

Jonathan S. Weissman is a principal lecturer (Department of Cybersecurity) at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he was awarded the RIT Outstanding Teaching Award in 2014, the RIT GCCIS Outstanding Educator Award in 2018, and RIT Distinguished Teacher Recognition Program Honors in 2019. Weissman developed and teaches three courses for the edX RITx Cybersecurity MicroMasters program to more than 300,000 students worldwide.

All in all, Weissman is the recipient of 11 teaching honors and awards. Weissman began his teaching career in 2001, and has taught more than 50 graduate and undergraduate courses, which include networking, cybersecurity, systems administration, cryptography, ethical hacking/pentesting, digital forensics, malware reverse engineering, programming, scripting, web design, database design, computer organization and architecture, operating system design, and many more.

Weissman is the author (amazon.com/author/jonathansweissman) of Principles of Computer Security: CompTIA Security+ and Beyond Lab Manual, and is also the author of Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ Guide to Managing & Troubleshooting Lab Manual, (Fifth and Sixth Editions) and Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ Certification Passport, (Sixth and Seventh Editions). He serves as technical editor for many industry textbooks.

Furthermore, Weissman is a networking and cybersecurity consultant for local businesses and individuals. Weissman regularly appears on TV news and talk radio, and in articles, as a networking and cybersecurity expert. Additionally, he presents at conferences and in webinars, runs workshops, and appears in podcasts.

Weissman has a master’s degree in Computer Science from Brooklyn College and holds 47 industry certifications, including CCNP Enterprise, Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core, Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Advanced Infrastructure Implementation, CCNA Security, CCNA, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Linux+, CompTIA Server+, EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker, EC-Council Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator, and IPv6 Forum Certified Network Engineer (Gold), among many others. He was inducted into the IPv6 Forum’s New Internet IPv6 Hall of Fame (ipv6halloffame.org) as an IPv6 Evangelist in 2021.

Follow him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/jonathan-s-weissman-058b649b, X at twitter.com/CSCPROF, Instagram at instagram.com/cscprof, and Threads at threads.net/@cscprof. Subscribe to his YouTube channel at youtube.com/Weissman52.
 


Areas of Expertise

Currently Teaching

CSEC-140
3 Credits
This course will introduce many fundamental cybersecurity concepts. The course will teach students to think about information systems using an adversarial mindset, evaluate risk to information systems, and introduce controls that can be implemented to reduce risk. Topics will include authentication systems, data security and encryption, risk management and security regulatory frameworks, networking and system security, application security, organizational and human security considerations, and societal implications of cybersecurity issues. These topics will be discussed at an introductory level with a focus on applied learning through hands-on virtual lab exercises.
CSEC-202
3 Credits
This course will teach students the core concepts needed to analyze unknown source code. Students will study a variety of low-level programming languages and how high-level programming language structures relate to low-level programming languages. Students will learn study tools and techniques used for both static and dynamic analysis of unknown binaries, providing the foundation for further study in malware analysis.
CSEC-462
3 Credits
This course investigates the many facets of network security and forensics. Students will examine the areas of intrusion detection, evidence collection, network auditing, network security policy design and implementation as well as preparation for and defense against attacks. The issues and facilities available to both the intruder and data network administrator will be examined and evaluated with appropriate laboratory exercises to illustrate their effect.
CSEC-600
3 Credits
This is a graduate level introduction to the field of computing security. An extensive overview of various branches of computing security areas will be presented including concepts, issues, and tools that are critical in solving problems in computing security domain. Students will have opportunities to learn essential techniques in protecting systems and network infrastructures, analyzing and monitoring potential threats and attacks, devising and implementing security solutions for organizations large or small.
CSEC-743
3 Credits
Computer malware is a computer program with malicious intent. In this course, students will study the history of computer malware, categorizations of malware such as computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, etc. Other topics include, but are not limited to, basic structures and functions of malware, malware delivery mechanism, propagation models, anti-malware software, its methods and applications, reverse engineering techniques. Students will conduct research to understand the current state of the computer malware defense and offense.
CSEC-744
3 Credits
Students will examine the areas of intrusion detection, evidence collection, network auditing, network security policy design and implementation as well as preparation for and defense against attacks. The issues and facilities available to both the intruder and data network administrator will be examined and evaluated with appropriate laboratory exercises to illustrate their effect. The students will be provided with an understanding of the principles and concepts of wired and wireless data network security. Students will perform a series of laboratory or homework experiments in order to explore various mechanisms for securing data networks including physical layer mechanisms, filters, applications and encryption. Students will engage in attack/defend scenarios to test their deployments against other teams. Students should be knowledgeable in networking technologies.
CSEC-799
1 - 3 Credits
The graduate independent study offers students the opportunity to investigate a topic not covered in an available course in the MS program in conjunction with a faculty sponsor. Working cooperatively, the faculty sponsor and the student draft a proposal of the work to be completed, the deliverables expected from the student, the number of credits assigned, and the means by which the student’s work will be evaluated. The proposal must be approved by the graduate program director before a student can be registered for independent study.
NSSA-221
3 Credits
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the role of the system administrator in large organizations. This will be accomplished through a discussion of many of the tasks and tools of system administration. Students will participate in both a lecture section and a separate lab section. The technologies discussed in this class include: operating systems, system security, and service deployment strategies.
NSSA-245
3 Credits
This course will investigate the protocols used to support network based services and the tasks involved in configuring and administering those services in virtualized Linux and Windows internet working environments. Topics include an overview of the TCP/IP protocol suite, in-depth discussions of the transport layer protocols, TCP and UDP, administration of network based services including the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Domain Name Service (DNS), Secure Shell (SSH), and Voice Over IP (VoIP). Students completing this course will have thorough theoretical knowledge of the Internet Protocol (IP), the Transport Control Protocol (TCP), and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), as well as experience in administering, monitoring, securing and troubleshooting an internet work of computer systems running these protocols and services.

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