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 Goals

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• be familiar with the history of U.S. elections and with the organization of the Virginia Department of Elections;
• understand the threats to election security in the U.S.;
• be knowledgeable about security frameworks and countermeasures to prevent or mitigate threats to election security;
• be ready for fieldwork with Virginia localities.

Prerequisites

IT 223: Information Security Fundamentals.

Course Expectations

• Working online requires dedication and organization. Proper preparation is expected every week. Students are expected to log into the course each week, and review the materials and complete the assignments in a timely manner.
• Students must check their Mason email messages frequently for course announcements, which may include reminders and updates.
• It is expected that students will familiarize themselves with and adhere to the Honor Code. Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat, plagiarize, steal, and/or lie in matters related to academic work.
• It is essential to communicate any questions or problems to the instructor promptly.

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, homework 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. All quizzes and exams will be administered online using the LockDown Browser, and you must have your webcam on. Quizzes will be available online from Friday to Sunday. All homework and quizzes are due at the end of the week for which they are scheduled, by 11:59 PM on Sunday.

• [Week 01 - 08-26-2024] - Lecture: Introduction to Election Security
• [Week 02 - 09-03-2024] - Lecture: U.S. Election Systems History & Background: Part I
• [Week 03 - 09-09-2024] - Lecture: U.S. Election Systems History & Background: Part II — Quiz #1
• [Week 04 - 09-16-2024] - Lecture: Voting Systems Security Background & Standards: Part I — Homework #1
• [Week 05 - 09-23-2024] - Lecture: Voting Systems Security Background & Standards: Part II — Quiz #2
• [Week 06 - 09-30-2024] - Lecture: Locality Election Security Standards: Part I — Homework #2
• [Week 07 - 10-07-2024] - Lecture: Locality Election Security Standards: Part II — Midterm Exam (online from 10/10/2024 to 10/13/2024)
• [Week 08 - 10-14-2024] - Lecture: Election Architecture and Controls: Part I — Homework #3
• [Week 09 - 10-21-2024] - Lecture: Election Architecture and Controls: Part II — Quiz #3
• [Week 10 - 10-28-2024] - Lecture: Election Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks: Part I — Homework #4
• [Week 11 - 11-04-2024] - Lecture: Election Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks: Part II — Quiz #4
• [Week 12 - 11-11-2024] - Lecture: Design and Architecture of Voting Machines — Homework #5
• [Week 13 - 11-18-2024] - Lecture: Misinformation and Social Engineering — Quiz #5
• [Thanksgiving Recess — November 27 - December 1]
• [Week 14 - 12-02-2024] - Lecture: Cybersecurity Careers in the Public Sector — Homework #6
• [Week 15 - 12-09-2024] - Final exam (online from 12/12/2024 to 12/15/2024)

Course Tools

The following tools will be used in this course:

• Blackboard: used for posting class materials (lecture slides, readings, etc.), participating in class discussions, completing and submitting assignments, and posting grades for individual assessment components.
• Microsoft Team: used for online office hours with the instructor.

Additional Resources & Information

Below is a list of additional and useful resources.

• University Catalog
• University Policy
• Office of Academic Integrity
• Mason Diversity Statement
• Student Privacy
• Writing Center
• College of Engineering and Computing > Computing Resources
• University Libraries > Mason Online
• Psychological Services and Counseling
• Calendar of Religious Holidays
• Disability Accommodations
  Students with a documented learning disability or other condition that may affect academic performance should: (i) make sure this documentation is on file with Office of Disability Services (SUB I, Rm. 4205; phone: 703-993-2474) to determine the accommodations they need; and (ii) talk with the instructor to discuss their accommodation needs.

Grading Policy

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

• Homework Assignments (30 points) — Students will be responsible for completing 6 homework assignments (5 points each). The due date of each assignment will be specified in Blackboard and announced by the instructor. These assignments will help students develop critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis skills. Evaluation Criteria: homework assignments will be evaluated on completeness, applying course concepts, interpreting results, and ability to achieve the desired outcome.
• Quizzes (25 points) — Students will be responsible for completing 5 quizzes (5 points each). Each quiz will be based on posted reading assignments and class discussion and will need to be completed in Blackboard at a time that will be announced by the instructor, during the weeks specified in the class schedule. Quizzes will help assess the level of knowledge and understanding of course topics. Evaluation Criteria: quizzes will be evaluated using the appropriate quiz answer key.
• Class Participation (5 points) — Students will be responsible for participating in class discussions through Blackboard's discussion board.
• Midterm (20 points) — Students will be responsible for completing a midterm exam. The exam will be based on posted reading assignments and class discussion. Instructions for completing the midterm exam will be posted on Blackboard by the instructor. The midterm exam will assess the level of knowledge and understanding of course topics. Evaluation Criteria: the midterm exam will be evaluated using the appropriate answer key.
• Final Exam (20 points) — Students will be responsible for completing a final exam. The final exam will be used to ensure that the principles of the course have been mastered at an acceptable level. Evaluation Criteria: the final exams will be evaluated using the appropriate answer key.  

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. The instructor, at his discretion, may offer opportunities for students to earn extra credits (e.g., participation in workshops, competitions, seminars) during the semester. Any request to submit work for extra credit, outside of the opportunities offered by the instructor, will be denied.

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 a mistake.

Assessment Components Allocation

Letter Grades by Point Range