Technology Requirements

Cybersecurity

The chart below lists minimal and recommended requirements for a laptop for WMU cybersecurity students. These systems should suffice for four years of study in cybersecurity.

Some items in these requirements are listed as recommended and are not required. They are recommended because they will make your laptop more powerful and versatile, with a longer effective lifespan, but a laptop that meets the minimum requirements will be sufficient.

Hardware	Minimum Requirements
CPU	Quad Core (not counting hyper-threading) 2.5Ghz, Intel i5/ Ultra 5 or AMD Ryzen 5 or better Virtual box/VMware must be supported Intel is preferred over AMD for Linux support Intel 13th Gen i7/Ultra 7 or better is recommended
Memory	16 GB 32 GB or 16 GB with ability to install additional memory if necessary is recommended
Disk	512 GB SSD or better
Graphics	Accelerated, Gaming Support Nvidia is preferred over AMD At least a 4MB cache is recommended 1920 by 1080 resolution is recommended (at least on an external port) At least 1280 by 1024 resolution HDMI output recommended (perhaps with an adapter)
Sound	Mic in/Headphone out (either analog or two free USB ports)
Mouse	An external mouse (USB or Bluetooth) is desirable.
USB	Both USB-A and USB-C recommended Multiple USB ports may be needed for: mouse, printer, mic-in and headphones-out, depending on how these are connected.
Wireless	802.11 n required 802.11 ac is recommended
External monitor	A 23" or larger HDMI monitor is recommended, with reasonable resolution.
Laptop or Desktop	Windows 11 or macOS 13 or above. Linux is also acceptable if a mainstream distribution (e.g. Ubuntu).
Apple	MacBook Pros can be used or iMac with above hardware recommendations.
Software
Installs	Students must be able to install software on the computer they will use for the cybersecurity courses.
OS	Students should Google their chosen system for serious Linux support problems. A few manufacturers use non-standard hardware configurations, making running Linux a challenge.
Microsoft Office	Provided to all WMU students. Students should be able to run these programs either on their system or the web versions.
Development Software	Provided by the cybersecurity program at no additional cost to the student. These include many Microsoft developer tools and operating systems, as well as VMWare and many open source security tools and Linux distributions.
Service	An extended warranty is recommended.