The Syllabus lists some of the core texts and finer details of this module from an administrative viewpoint. The Syllabus is here and the module handbook is here.
The philosophy of this module is to introduce the student to the issues that arise when we consider the security of computer networks, from both a “white-hat” (defensive), and “black-hat” (offensive) perspective.
The lecture in week 1 will be in room MF124/125 from 13:15 to 15:05 after week 1, the remaining lectures are on Wednesdays in room TQ001 from 9:15-11:15 and the practicals are in room TQ001 from 11:15 to 14:05.
The module is 100% coursework. Coursework 1 is a report on a cyber security topic which is worth 25%. The submission date is week 5 – Wednesday October 22nd. The second coursework is a lab test where you will demonstrate aspects of your practical & theoretical pen testing skills. This is in week 12 – Wednesday December 10th and is worth 75% of your final module mark.
Week 6 is a reading week so you have no lecture or lab on the 29th of October.
Weekly Sides, Reading & Labs
Lecture 1 : Introduction & Emerging Topics
Optional additional reading: Tor: The Second-Generation Onion Router by Dingledine et al.
Optional video clip: Vacuum Robot Security & Privacy – Prevent your Robot from Sucking Your Data
Lab 1: Vulnersity, Networks & Snort
Lecture 2: Authentication – Access control & cryptography
Optional additional reading: Cloud Security – A short primer by Joel-Ahmed Mondol.
Optional video clip: Tracking the Worlds Dumbest Cyber Mercenaries
Lab 2: Linux & XSS
Lecture 3: Programs & Programming
Optional additional reading: Microsoft vs. Apple: Resilience against Distributed DoS Attack by Altunbasak et al.
Optional video clip Drinking from the caffeine firehose we know as shodan
Lab 3: DNS, HTTP, Web Applications
Lecture 4: Network Security
Optional additional reading: Can we make operating systems reliable and secure by Tanenbaum et al.
Optional video clip: Darknet Opsec By a Veteran Darknet Vendor
Lab 4: Security Analyst, pyramid of pain and cyber threats
Lecture 5: Operating Systems
Optional additional reading: A Taxonomy of Buffer Overflow Characteristics by Matt Bishop et al.
Optional video clip: Badge of Shame Breaking into Secure Facilities with OSDP
Lab 5: Network Security
Week 6 – No Lecture – Consolidation Week – Project clinic (1/2 day) + plagiarism/writing/presenting workshop.
Lecture 7: Databases
Optional additional reading: It is Time for Trustworthy Systems by Hesier et al.
Optional video clip: Infinite Money Glitch – Hacking Transit Cards
Lab 7: Endpoint Security Monitoring & Security Information & Event Management
Lecture 8: Cloud Computing
Optional additional reading: A Survey on Security for Mobile Devices by La Polla et al.
Optional video clip: Phreaking Smart Shopping Cart Wheels Through RF Sniffing
Lab Week 8 – Phishing & Detection Engineering
Lecture 9: Privacy & Security Incident Management
Optional additional reading: Why I wrote PGP by Phil Zimmermann.
Optional video clip: Private Until Presumed Guilty
Lab Week 9 – Critical Vulnerabilities
Lecture 10: Cryptography
Optional additional reading: Keystroke Dynamics for User Authentication by Zhong et al.
Optional video clip: A Different Uber Post Mortem
Lab Week 10 – Splunk & Logs
Lecture 11: Legal Issues & Ethics
Optional additional reading: Legal, Ethical & Social Issues in the case of an Intrusive Remote Monitoring Software by McBrearty et al.
Optional video clip: LLMs at the Forefront Pioneering the Future of Fuzz Testing
Lab Week 11 – Windows, Active Directory & Kenobi
Lecture 12: No Lecture – Class Test only
Optional additional reading: A Lightweight Authentication Protocol for Secure Communications between Resource-Limited Devices and Wireless Sensor Networks by Ksiazak et al.
Optional video clip: Shall We Play a Game
Labs
All practicals are placed on BlackBoard each week.
Assignments
CLASS ASSIGNMENT 1 – 25% (Date: Week 5)
Cybersecurity Report
CLASS ASSIGNMENT 2 – 75% (Date: Week 12)
Theory & practical lab test