MSc: Advanced Security
Advanced security
- Course name: Advanced security
- Code discipline:
- Subject area:
Short Description
This course covers the following concepts: Wireless network security; Software security; Web application security; OWASP; Firewall (web application); Assemblers and debuggers for low-level security.
Prerequisites
Prerequisite subjects
- The course has been designed to be self-included as much as possible. The successful completion will depend on prerequisite courses such as
- Security of Systems and Networks
- Essential skills
Prerequisite topics
Course Topics
| Section | Topics within the section |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth security |
|
| Wireless and Wifi security |
|
| Web (application) security, Web vulnerability scanners, and Web Application Firewall (WAF) |
|
| Network security |
|
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
What is the main purpose of this course?
In this course, server-based and application-based web attacks are taught. We begin by exploring advanced techniques and attacks to which all modern-day complex applications may be vulnerable to. We will learn about new web frameworks and web back-ends, then explore encryption as it relates to web applications, digging deep into practical cryptography used by the web, including techniques to identify the type of encryption in use within the application and methods for exploiting or abusing it. In this course, we will also focus on wireless security such as Bluetooth and WiFi and will dive deeper into the security mechanisms used in the modern-day technologies. Furthermore, we will look into assembly language, assemblers and debuggers that will help us to assess and protect networks and applications. Other important topics in advanced security include Web Application Firewall (WAF) and web vulnerability scanners. Software security is another exciting topic that will be covered in detail in AS. It is worth mentioning that AS is a defensive course where the emphasis will be put on the defensive mechanisms.
ILOs defined at three levels
Level 1: What concepts should a student know/remember/explain?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- RF and Bluetooth security
- Database security/Wifi security
- Web vulnerabilities
- API security
- Software security
- Network security
- Web application security
- Assembly language programming, assemblers, and low-level program analysis
Level 2: What basic practical skills should a student be able to perform?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- Web vulnerabilities
- WPA and WEP definition and differences
- Web application firewall
- Use of OWASP
- Understanding of RF and Bluetooth security
- Software security
Level 3: What complex comprehensive skills should a student be able to apply in real-life scenarios?
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
- Track application security against known standard OWASP and SANS categories
- To perform Bluetooth sniffer test.
- WPA implementation
- Testing security features within applications
Grading
Course grading range
| Grade | Range | Description of performance |
|---|---|---|
| A. Excellent | 90-100 | - |
| B. Good | 75-89 | - |
| C. Satisfactory | 60-74 | - |
| D. Poor | 0-59 | - |
Course activities and grading breakdown
| Activity Type | Percentage of the overall course grade |
|---|---|
| Labs/seminar classes | 50 |
| Interim performance assessment | 0 |
| Exams | 50 |
Recommendations for students on how to succeed in the course
Resources, literature and reference materials
Open access resources
- Michael Sikorksi and Andrew Honig, Practical Malware Analysis by, 1nd Edition, Kindle Edition
- Online resources provided either in slides or on moodle
Closed access resources
Software and tools used within the course
Teaching Methodology: Methods, techniques, & activities
Activities and Teaching Methods
| Learning Activities | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development of individual parts of software product code | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Homework and group projects | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Midterm evaluation | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Testing (written or computer based) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Discussions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Formative Assessment and Course Activities
Ongoing performance assessment
Section 1
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Explain an ad hoc networking | 1 |
| Question | Explain frequency hoping | 1 |
| Question | Establishing Piconets example | 1 |
| Question | What is sniff mode? | 1 |
| Question | What are possible security flaws for common applications of the bluetooth technology? | 0 |
| Question | What approaches are used to increase radio channel security and throughput? | 0 |
| Question | How radio waves are propagated through environment? | 0 |
Section 2
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | Define WEP issues! | 1 |
| Question | Describe active attack. | 1 |
| Question | TKIP? | 1 |
| Question | AES-CCMP? | 1 |
| Question | RADIUS and other authentication issues in WiFi | 1 |
| Question | Handoff-iapp (802.11f) | 0 |
| Question | Pre-auth (802.11i) | 0 |
| Question | EduRoam | 0 |
Section 3
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | What is Same Origin Policy? | 1 |
| Question | To which attack does SOP mitigate? | 1 |
| Question | How the Document object model could be used for an attacker to manipulate the web browser data? | 1 |
| Question | Vulnerability analysis and exploitation for a given web application. | 0 |
| Question | What are the important aspects of web vulnerability scanners? | 0 |
| Question | Write and deploy a WAF rules to mitigate a specific web attack. | 0 |
Section 4
| Activity Type | Content | Is Graded? |
|---|---|---|
| Question | How VPN improves network security and in which scenarios?? | 1 |
| Question | What are the pros and cons of IPsec? And are there any alternatives to IPSes? | 1 |
| Question | How Nmap is used in penetration testing and what are the ethical concerns? | 1 |
| Question | Exploit the difference between VPN and sock5. | 0 |
| Question | Exploit IPsec effects on the performance of a networking device. | 0 |
| Question | Why does nmap produce false-positive when scanning a windows host? | 0 |
| Question | Can you improve nmap scanning technique? Elaborate! | 0 |
Final assessment
Section 1
- How radio waves are propagated through environment?
- What is park mode?
- How Service Discovery Protocol works?
Section 2
- EduRoam?
- Explain TLS handshake.
- Differences between WEP and WPA?
Section 3
- Vulnerability analysis and exploitation for a given web application, explain.
- How the Document object model could be used for an attacker to manipulate the web browser data?
Section 4
- What are the difference between VPN and sock5
- Does IPsec effects the performance of a networking device?
- What does nmap produce when scanning a windows host?
- Can you improve the scanning technique?
The retake exam
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4