Information Assurance Training

SAIC trains system administrators in the proper information assurance implementation techniques. We also work to increase management awareness of the importance of proper security.

Our comprehensive information assurance training has been conducted for the Navy for more than five years and has been instrumental in improving the security of Navy networks. Our courses have been the basis for certifying system administrators at Navy commands.

These courses are accredited to meet the requirements contained in the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) national training standard for system administrators, advanced level (CNSS 4013). SAIC is one of only two commercial institutions nationwide to meet this standard of curriculum quality.

Training Locations

Resident Training

We offer these information assurance training classes monthly at our Campus Point facility in San Diego.

Mobile Training

We also offer a mobile training classroom and can bring these information assurance training courses to your location, wherever it may be. The mobile class is self-contained with a capacity of 20 students. Only electrical power and Internet connectivity are needed for us to set up a class on-site. Our pricing structure provides the all-inclusive price for a course or combination of courses.

Courses

Level 1 - CompTIA Security+ Certification Training

This three-day information assurance training course provides an overview and introduction of information assurance concepts, policies, vulnerabilities, safeguards, and requirements. The course focuses on information assurance best practices; it is not a boot-camp, but it will prepare students to take the CompTIA Security and certification exam. Specific topics include training and certification; security overview and myths; security basics and principles; threats, vulnerabilities, exploits and risk; roles & responsibilities; legal and policy issues; system security mechanisms; operating system security mechanism;, local attacks; networking basics; network attacks; encryption; and firewall, IDS, and VPN concepts and architecture basics. This course is appropriate for either new system administrators, or those with little experience in information assurance as well as management personnel to provide an overall "big picture" of the principles and best practices as well as the importance of information assurance.

Level 2 Windows®

This four-day information assurance training course focuses on specific features of and procedures to securely configure the Windows operating system (OS). Differences between the different versions of Windows (XP/Vista, Server 2000/2003/2008) are covered, but the course mainly focuses on securing the Enterprise Server 2003 with 17 hands-on practical labs. Specific topics include an overview of Windows, planning a network infrastructure; server roles, domain forests, trees and trusts, installing the OS securely; patching the system; users, groups and authentication; registry and security configuration tools; managing Windows; protecting data on the host and network; end-user security; tools to check security; backup and disaster recovery basics; auditing and logging; add-on security tools; Web application security basics and PKI. An advanced course is being developed to include high level networking and web services security for Windows/ Unix based platforms due for completion mid 2009.

Level 2 UNIX®

This three-day information assurance training course focuses on specific features of and procedures to securely configure the Red Hat® Fedora Core Linux® operating system. While specific to Linux, many of the concepts and procedures learned during presentations and 12 hands-on practical labs can be applied to other variants of UNIX operating systems. Specific topics include introductory UNIX security; installation and post-installation; pluggable authentication module; Gnu Privacy Guard; security patch management; managing users and groups; security individual services; firewalls, VPNs, backups & disaster recovery; monitoring and logging, vulnerability self-assessment; incident response; automating tasks; proper programming techniques; and Kernel updating and compiling. An advanced course is being developed to include high level networking and web services security for Windows/ Unix based platforms due for completion mid 2009.

Delivery and Pricing

Cost Comparison to Other Sources of Information Assurance Training

We encourage competitive shopping. To determine course cost value of other information assurance training sources, normalize the cost to a per-day-per-person basis. A five-day course costing $2000 per person would be $400 per day. Then compare our prices and include lost production time due to time away from work.

Pricing for Information Assurance Training at Campus Point, San Diego

Commercial tuition is $400 per day per person.

• $1200 for Level 1 and Level 2 UNIX
• $1600 for Level 2 Windows

Government tuition is $350 per day per person

• $1050 for Level 1 and Level 2 UNIX
• $1400 for Level 2 Windows

Pricing for Mobile Classroom Information Assurance Training at Your Site

Bringing the courses to your location provides several advantages, including no travel expenses, and your personnel are close by if they are urgently needed for any reason. Providing your own classroom also eliminates the cost of contracting a suitable classroom in a local hotel or conference facility and these savings are passed on to the customer. The price for mobile classes is set per class; we do not charge by the student. The third column in the table provides a comparison for the per-student-per-day costs assuming that the class is filled with 20 students. Various package deal combinations are possible where classes can be run consecutively. The savings for these combination packages that offer additional savings over purchasing classes individually, are reflected in the right side of the table.

Sometimes an organization may not have a classroom or conference room available for holding classes for several days. In these cases, we can arrange for a room at a locally convenient conference center. The table below provides pricing where we need to arrange for a commercial training room. Once again, savings may be gained by running classes consecutively over purchasing them individually.

This pricing structure includes SAIC bringing a self contained network of 20 laptop computers for students to exercise on, all course materials -- including very comprehensive course manuals -- and the instructor.

An Internet connection is required in order to take the classes.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.
Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc.
Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.