MSc: Advanced Security

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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

Course Sections and Topics
Section Topics within the section
Bluetooth security
  1. Bluetooth standard
  2. Bluetooth applications
  3. Bluetooth security
Wireless and Wifi security
  1. Eavesdropping
  2. DoS
  3. WEP / WPA / RSN
  4. RADIUS, EduRoam, and other current security standards in WiFi
Web (application) security, Web vulnerability scanners, and Web Application Firewall (WAF)
  1. Security related to web technologies.
  2. Same Origin Policy.
  3. Web Attacker Model
  4. Web vulnerability scanners
  5. Web Application Firewall
Network security
  1. Network security policies and practices
  2. Nmap
  3. VPN
  4. IPsec

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

Activities within each section
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

  1. How radio waves are propagated through environment?
  2. What is park mode?
  3. How Service Discovery Protocol works?

Section 2

  1. EduRoam?
  2. Explain TLS handshake.
  3. Differences between WEP and WPA?

Section 3

  1. Vulnerability analysis and exploitation for a given web application, explain.
  2. How the Document object model could be used for an attacker to manipulate the web browser data?

Section 4

  1. What are the difference between VPN and sock5
  2. Does IPsec effects the performance of a networking device?
  3. What does nmap produce when scanning a windows host?
  4. Can you improve the scanning technique?

The retake exam

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4