CYSE 280

Windows System Management and Security

CYSE 280 (or Windows System Management and Security) is a course that introduces its students to different tools and techniques required to configure, manage, and implement the Windows Systems and its features that relate to system security. In addition to this, we also learned about mitigating malware threats and identifying potential security issues with the Windows Advanced Threat Analysis feature, and as well as some other related networking environments. In this course, a majority of the coursework I completed related to these windows systems, however the most relevant of the coursework would have to be the Research Paper attributed to the class. The topic for the paper that I chose was the Evolution of Microsoft and its Servers, and this paper was an in depth analysis of the progression of Microsoft from launch all the way up till the newer models we see today.

Before I took this course, I had always used Microsoft sponsored products but I had never thought about the potential security issues or features that come with the computer itself. Throughout this course, I became aware of how frightening the world of cyber threats could be and that there are steps that can be taken to mitigate the chance of being a victim of a cyber attack. Through this newfound understanding and through the research I completed for this term paper, I learned that Microsoft has come quite far in their development since their introduction back in 1975 in terms of system security and cyber threat detection. Windows has a deep and rich history when it comes to the system updates and patches they have released, and a certain amount of determination and perseverance is needed to go through and examine all of these. Specifically for this paper, I had to push out of my comfort zone and challenge myself and my old notions of what exactly makes a system secure or vulnerable. Reading and learning all about the many different system updates and advancements made it uncomfortably apparent that there is always a threat for vulnerabilities whether we are aware of them or not, and ignorance is no longer an excuse for me to not thoroughly examine my systems and make sure that my system is uncompromised. While it may seem bleak and dreary with the ever looming threat of a cyber attack, I am glad to know that while I still might be lacking in certain areas of expertise that would make me into the perfect Windows or Systems expert, I am certainly on the right track to keeping my own systems safe and transferring that knowledge to future jobs.