Threats and attacks are like living organisms: some survive unaltered, mostly hidden from view, but remain deadly when conditions are “just right” ; others emerge quickly, wreck havoc, then become extinct — and yet others keep evolving, both in terms of their propagation methods and their impact.

A network professional can therefore not be limited to just static application of risk assessment methodology, nor to mechanical application intrusion detection and forensics tools — and must, by nature, not simply be “following a cookbook”, but must also have a complete understanding of the whole processes, technologies, and theories involved in attacks.

This program in network security is therefore not just limited to a theoretical understanding the state of the art of security standards, threats, and techniques— but tries to bring a broad systems-understanding, to be able to be proactive and identify potential attack surfaces of a system, before an attack exists, and the necessary background to be able to rapidly analyse and understand the root nature of a new attackon a system.

To this end, the program alternates theoretical lectures and hands-on exercises, with seminars and “war-stories”,with 4h practice sessions during which we will be building a first-hand experience with how vulnerable real-world Internet-connected systems are — as well as with how “white-hat”IT professional constructs (more) secured computer networks.

 

Structure: To this end, the program alternates theoretical lectures, seminars, and “war-stories”,with 4h practice sessions during which we will be building a first-hand experience with how vulnerable real-world Internet-connected systems are — as well as with how “white-hat” IT professional constructs (more) secured computer networks.

Requirements: A good dose of curiosity is required. As we will be studying some advanced topics in computer networking, INF557 "From the Internet to the IoT: The Fundamentals Of Modern Computer Networking" is recommended.

Evaluation mechanism: Active participation during weekly TD sessions, worth 50% of the final grade, and a final exam QCM worth the other 50% of the grade.

Language: English (with, at least, bilingual teaching staff)