Advanced Cybersecurity

Objectives

Cybersecurity is a very broad topic, covering a wide variety of potential threats, from attacks against computer networks and websites, to the creation and deployment of computer viruses and social engineering. The aim of this course is to provide students with a good general overview of possible attacks, vulnerabilities and exploits, and to make them aware of best practices for counteracting them and relevant countermeasures. The course will cover several specific attacks in depth, and students will learn how these attacks work in practice and how to prevent them. The course also covers the use of some commonly used cybersecurity tools.

Content

The course will cover

• common threats and countermeasures in WiFi security, password security, network security and web security, malware, social engineering, and basic of penetration testing
• relevant standards¿ protocols and algorithms
• practical labs for working with common cybersecurity and pentesting tools.

On completion of the course the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• will know the legal and ethical implications of penetration testing, ethical hacking and responsible disclosure;
• can list common attacks and vulnerabilities in computers, networks, and websites;
• can explain the underlying cause for these vulnerabilities and explain what must be done to prevent them;
• can explain the structure and operation of network protocols with a view on security implications;
• can list cybersecurity tools and resources and explain what they can be used for;
• can explain the cryptographic and mathematical principles of secure systems and explain the consequences if they are broken.

Skills

The student is able to

• find vulnerabilities in computer systems, websites and networks;
• analyze vulnerabilities and implement countermeasures in computer systems, websites and networks;
• identify flaws in cryptographic protocols and implementations ;
• work with security and penetration testing tools.

General competence

The student

• is able to assess the security of a computer, website, network or protocol, and strengthen it by implementing countermeasures.