Special Topics (Cybersecurity)

Second Semester AY 2025-2026

About

Catalog Description
Course Number and Section CMSC 191 EF
Course Title Special Topics (Cybersecurity)
Description Concepts in protecting computer systems and networks from attacks.
Prerequisites CMSC 125 and CMSC 131 or COI
Credit 3 units
Aim

This course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills in identifying threats and vulnerabilities as well as developing protection mechanisms for computer systems and networks.

Objectives
At the end of this course the student should be able to:
  1. explain the fundamental concepts in computer systems security: confidentiality, integrity, availability, asset, threat, attack, policy, mechanism;
  2. find and identify software, platform, and network security vulnerabilities;
  3. develop and use exploits for security vulnerabilities;
  4. perform incident response and digital forensics after a security breach;
  5. apply secure programming practices;
  6. design, implement, and deploy secure network and web services; and
  7. explain and evaluate the legal and ethical implications of security attacks and breaches.
Topics (based on ACM's 2023 CS Curriculum Guidelines: Security)
  1. SEC-Foundations: Foundational Security
  2. SEC-SEP: Society, Ethics, and the Profession
  3. SEC-Coding: Secure Coding
  4. SEC-Crypto: Cryptography
  5. SEC-Engineering: Security Analysis, Design, and Engineering
  6. SEC-Forensics: Digital Forensics
  7. SEC-Governance: Security Governance
Specific topics
  • Why Computer Security is challenging?
  • Computer Security Strategy
  • Symmetric Encryption
  • Asymmetric Encryption
  • Software Security
  • Database Security
  • Penetration Testing
  • Buffer Overflow Attacks
  • TCP/IP and attacks
  • DNS and attacks
  • Malicious Software
  • IT Security Management and Risk Assessment
  • IT Security Controls, Plans, and Procedures
  • Human Resources Security
Evaluation/Grading(Tentative)
Exercises 45%
Quizzes 10%
CTF Exam 25%
Written Exam 20%
Total 100%
Passing grade is 55%. No grade of 4.0 will be given. Grading scale is shown below.
0.00 54.99 5.0
55.00 59.99 3.0
60.00 64.99 2.75
65.00 69.99 2.5
70.00 74.99 2.25
75.00 79.99 2.0
80.00 84.99 1.75
85.00 89.99 1.5
90.00 94.99 1.25
95.00 100 1.0
Attendance Policy

Attendance will be checked every meeting. Students with four(4) or more absences will be automatically dropped from the course.

Collaboration Policy

Honor Code
  • Properly acknowledge help received.
  • No looking at solutions/programs from previous years.
  • No sharing of code with other students.
  • Be ready to explain your code.
Google Classroom:

Staff

Name Role Email
Joseph Anthony C. Hermocilla Instructor jchermocilla@up.edu.ph

Schedule

Week Date Topic Learning Materials Laboratory
1 Jan 19-23 COURSE OVERVIEW AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
2 Jan 26-30 The Confidentiality-Integrity-Availability triad
3 Feb 2-6 Environment Variables and Set UID
4 Feb 9-13 Shellshock
5 Feb 16-20 Buffer Overflow
6 Feb 23-27 Secret-Key Encryption
7 Mar 2-6 Public-Key Infrastructure
8 Mar 9-11 Cross-Site Scripting
Mar 12-13 READING BREAK
9 Mar 16-20 SQL Injection
10 Mar 23-27 TCP/IP Attacks
Mar 20-Apr 3 LENTEN BREAK
11 Apr 6-10 Local DNS Attacks
12 Apr 13-17 Penetration Testing
13 Apr 20-24 Malware Analysis
14 Apr 27-May 1 (Buffer Week)
15 May 4-8 (Buffer Week)
16 May 11-13 CTF EXAM
Finals Week May 15-22 WRITTEN EXAM

Resources

Main Resources
  • Lecture: [STA]:Stallings, W. and Brown, L. (2024). Computer Security: Principles And Practice (5th ed.) Pearson Education Inc.
  • Labs: SEED Labs
Supplementary Textbooks
  • Wenliang Du.(2017).Computer Security: A Hands-on Approach.
  • Goodrich, M., & Tamassia, R. (2010). Introduction to computer security. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
  • Pfleeger, C. P., & Pfleeger, S. L. (2002). Security in computing. Prentice Hall Professional Technical Reference.
  • Gollmann, D. (2011). Computer Security. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Bishop, M. (2006). Introduction to computer security. Pearson Education India.
  • Bishop, M. (2003). Computer Security: Art and Science. ISBN: 0-201-44099-7. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
  • Kaufman, C., Perlman, R., and Speciner, M. (2002). Network security: private communication in a public world. Prentice Hall Press.
  • Jon Erickson. (2008). Hacking: The art of exploitation. No Starch Press, Inc.
  • Michael Sikorski and Andrew Honig.(2012). Practical Malware Analysis. No Starch Press, Inc.
Similar CNSEC Courses
Software and Others