Hands-On Cybersecurity

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This foundational idea for this class is that, in order to understand the policy implications of a technology, it is necessary to get a hands-on appreciation for how that technology works. In this class, students will gain an appreciation for the basics of cyber security to help them understand and apply their knowledge to policy questions of the day. Class instruction topics include: packet-sniffing, encryption, social engineering, exploits & implants, incident response, computer forensics, attribution, and personal security. For each of these topics, we will examine relevant academic literature, look at case studies, do in-class demos, and give students a chance to get hands-on experience with the technology. We will also discuss the policy implications of each technical topic. No background in computer science is necessary for this class, though you should be willing to push yourself out of your technical comfort zone and be persistent in learning new skills. By the end of the class, with the right amount of effort, you will be able to have a good understanding of some of the key technical ideas that animate much of the cybersecurity discussion. Students will be graded on six homework assignments, each giving them a chance to put a newly-learned technical skill into practice. There will also be a mid-term exam to ensure understanding of key concepts and a final paper that connects the in-class topics to broader policy matters.