Colorado State University

CS 356 System Security

CS356 Systems Security presents a broad overview of cyber-security concepts, technologies and challenges. The course is open to computer science, advanced technology, mathematics, and engineering students. CS356 is a required course for all undergraduates in computer science. CS356 is also offered as an online course for distance-learning students (class section 801).

WARNING: During this course you will be learning about many different security tools and techniques, some of which can be used to circumvent or subvert network security measures. We will be using a safe and isolated networking environment to conduct ethical hacking experiments. Doing these experiments in our campus production environment will be grounds for failure in the class.

Description

Cyber-security is a hot topic – every day new data breaches, malware, or hacking exploits impact critical systems. As a result, there is huge demand for computer science graduates trained in systems and network security. In this course you will learn cyber-security concepts and technology and how to write self-defensive software to protect your organization and yourself. This course will cover:

• Computer security concepts
• Cryptographic tools
• User authentication & access control
• Database security
• Malicious software
• Denial of service attacks
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Buffer overflow attacks
• Internet authentication
• Wireless security
• Internet security protocols
• Privacy

You will begin by learning basic cryptographic tools, then how hackers break into systems (“the dark side”), and finally defensive programming techniques (“defense against the dark arts”). Hands-on programming projects (ethical hacking, case studies, videos, current event discussion (cyber crime/warfare/terrorism), and demos (rob a bank, hack a database) will help you solidify and confidently apply your skills.

Note: These web pages will remain mostly static. All lecture notes, assignments and projects will be posted on Canvas.

2025 Fall Semester Details