Cyber Defense
EECS 465, Spring 2021
Course Details
| Lectures | Organized in a hybrid format with online and on-campus lectures (see Tentative Roadmap) On-campus lectures: Tuesday & Thursday 5:30pm - 6:45pm, 2002 Eaton Hall as detailed in the Tentative Roadmap IMPORTANT! First on-campus lectures are scheduled on February 16 and February 18 |
| Instructor |
Alex Bardas Office Hours: Over Zoom every Tuesday 2:00pm - 3:00pm & Thursday 3:30pm - 4:30pm, and by email appointment Zoom meeting details For scheduling an in-person meeting please send me an email.  : alexbardas
|
| Grader/Teaching Assistant | Dalton Hahn Office Hours: Over Zoom every Monday 1:30pm - 2:30pm and by email appointment Zoom meeting details : daltonhahn
|
ku
eduSyllabus
Check the "Syllabus" section on a regular basis since its content is subject to change throughout the semester.
Course Description
This course is focused on teaching KU students the critical knowledge and skills needed to administer and defend computer networks and systems. Lectures will mainly gravitate around hands-on activities and getting familiar with the current cybersecurity landscape.
Textbook
(Optional) Charles P. Pfleeger, Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, and Jonathan Margulies. 2015. Security in Computing (5th Edition). Prentice Hall Press, Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA Other reading materials will be provided by the instructor.
Course Outcomes
This course has the following goals:
- Examining real software applications, operating systems, databases, and network systems using existing software tools to identify security threats, vulnerabilities, and employ remediation approaches.
- Understanding in a practical setting basic cybersecurity concepts such as reconnaissance, penetration testing, persistent access, etc.
- Understanding the behavior of software (and sometimes hardware) tools used for reconnaissance, penetration testing, and remediation.
- Analyzing social engineering through the capabilities available in existing software toolkits.
Important Dates
See the KU Registrar for important dates involving enrollment, add/drop, and refund information.
General Course Information
Online 
: Recorded lectures will be made available on the this course webpage under the Schedule section.
The recordings can be watched through the web browser or downloaded on your devices.
While this asynchronous format will give you more flexibility, it is highly recommended to keep up with the class schedule and always watch the lectures
in a timely manner. Office hours will be held over Zoom. However, you can schedule in-person (on-campus) meetings with the instructor.
Please see the Tentative Roadmap for a tentative weekly split of on-campus and online lectures.
More details are available in Lecture 1 under the Schedule section.
On-campus 
: On-campus lectures will be held in 2002 Eaton Hall at the regular class time. Please show up with your designated section/lecture. A tentative weekly split of on-campus and online lectures is available under Tentative Roadmap. See Lecture 1 under the Schedule section for more details.
Discussion Sessions: The instructor may offer optional discussion sessions throughout the semester at the regular class time over Zoom. More details are available in Lecture 1 under the Schedule section.
Announcements: You are responsible for all announcements we make in the recorded lectures and in class, such as information about exams, quizzes, homeworks, changes in the syllabus, etc.
Assignment (Homework and Reports) Submission: Usually assignments are due at 11:59PM Central Time via Blackboard (unless otherwise specified) according to the date posted in the assignment. In general, expect a 20% per day penalty for late submissions. One minute or 23 hours still count as a whole late day. Each calendar day counts as a late day. In case a solution will be made available by the instructor, late submissions will no longer be accepted.
Academic Integrity - Addressing Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated and will be treated severely
whenever found. Unless an assignment explicitly states otherwise, all work
submitted for credit must be the student's own and is subject to the
provisions of the University of Kansas policies. Sharing your work or
copying is cheating, and submitting a work that is not all yours is also
considered cheating. Any cheating activities will result in an F for the course for
all parties involved. Reports of such detected academic misconduct will
also be made to your major department, school/college, and university,
which oftentimes will result in more serious sanctions. Students should
review the university policy on
academic conduct.
"Academic integrity is a central value in higher education. It rests on
two principles: first, that academic work is represented truthfully as to
its source and its accuracy, and second, that academic results are obtained
by fair and authorized means. Academic misconduct occurs when these
values are not respected. Academic misconduct at KU is defined in the
University Senate Rules and
Regulations." --
KU Student Affairs
From Section 2.6.1 of the University Senate Rules and Regulations: Academic misconduct
by a student shall include, but not be limited to, disruption of classes; threatening an
instructor or fellow students in an academic setting, giving or receiving of unauthorized
aid on examinations or in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports or other assignments;
knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; unauthorized change of grades;
unauthorized use of University approvals or forging of signatures; falsification of research
results, plagiarizing of another’s work; violation of regulations or ethical codes for the
treatment of human and animal subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly in research.
Citing Sources: If you use any code, such as a library or an existing codebase, you must cite it. Not doing so is considered plagiarism and cheating. If in doubt, please ask.
Grading
Points Distribution
| Pre-Demo Quizzes | 25% |
| Final exam | 25% |
| Assignments (Homework and Reports) Each assignment has the same weight | 50% |
| A | 90% + |
| A- | 88% - 89% |
| B+ | 86% - 87% |
| B | 80% - 85% |
| B- | 78% - 79% |
| C+ | 76% - 77% |
| C | 70% - 75% |
| C- | 68% - 69% |
| D+ | 66% - 67% |
| D | 60% - 65% |
| D- | 50% - 59% |
| F | 0% - 49% |
- Pre-demo quizzes and the final exam will be open-book and open-notes, unless otherwise noted.
Appeals: Should you wish to appeal a grade that you have received, you must do so within one week of receiving the graded item.
Grade Responsibilities: This course uses Blackboard mainly for the pre-demo quizzes, the final exam, and generally for storing and displaying the grades. When explicitly directed by the instructor or grader/TA, Blackboard will be used for uploading your completed assignments. If you have not received a grade you were expecting it is your responsibility to email your instructor no later than 2 weeks past the due date of the grade in question.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
The Academic Achievement & Access Center (AAAC) coordinates academic accommodations and services for all eligible KU students with disabilities. If you have a disability for which you wish to request accommodations and have not contacted the AAAC, please do so as soon as possible. They are located in 22 Strong Hall and can be reached at 785-864-4064 (V/TTY). More information can be found on the Student Access Services website. Please contact the instructor privately in regard to your needs in this course.
Expectation of Classroom Conduct
The instructor, Alexandru G. Bardas, considers this classroom (including the discussions over Zoom) to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. Activities within the University of Kansas community, including this course, are governed by the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. It is the instructor's expectation that all students experience this classroom as a safe environment. Given the unprecedented circumstances we are operating under, please follow KU's COVID-19 Information webpage for the latest updates and directives.
Wearing Masks. To protect all of us, everyone must wear a mask in the classroom as required by the Protect KU Pledge and by University policy. Violations of the mask policy in classrooms are treated as academic misconduct. If you come to class without a mask, I will ask you to put one on. If you do not put on a mask when asked, you will have to leave class. Violations will be reported, and consequences will follow, up to and including suspension from the course.
Concealed Carry. Individuals who choose to carry concealed handguns are solely responsible to do so in a safe and secure manner in strict conformity with state and federal laws and with KU's policy on weapons. Safety measures outlined in the KU weapons policy specify that a concealed handgun:
- Must be under the constant control of the carrier.
- Must be out of view, concealed either on the body of the carrier, or backpack, purse, or bag that remains under the carrier’s custody and control.
- Must be in a holster that covers the trigger area and secures any external hammer in an un-cocked position.
- Must have the safety on, and have no round in the chamber.
Notice of Copyright and Commercial Note-taking
All lectures and course materials carry a copyright of Alexandru G. Bardas and other authors. Pursuant to the University of Kansas’ Policy on Commercial Note-Taking Ventures, commercial note-taking is not permitted in EECS 465 - Cyber Defense (Spring 2021). Lecture notes and course materials may be taken for personal use, for the purpose of mastering the course material, and may not be sold to any person or entity in any form. Any student engaged in or contributing to the commercial exchange of notes or course materials (such as recorded lecture videos and slides) will be subject to discipline, including academic misconduct charges, in accordance with University policy. Please note: note-taking provided by a student volunteer for a student with a disability, as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA, is not the same as commercial note-taking and is not covered under this policy.
Schedule
NOTE: Schedules are tentative and subject to change.
Course Schedule
Updated on a regular basis. Use your KU Online ID (all numeric is not correct) and password to access the slides and other materials.
| Feb 2, 2021 |
Lecture 1 | Introduction and Undergraduate Cybersecurity Certificate | video, intro-slides, cert-slides |
| Feb 4, 2021 |
Lecture 2 | Networking Terminology and Quizzes, Assignments, & Final Exam Supplemental readings:
|
video, slides-networking, slides-q&a |
| Feb 9, 2021 |
Lecture 3 | Reconnaissance (Part 1) | video, slides |
| Feb 11, 2021 |
Homework 1 (Lecture 4) |
Reconnaissance (Part 2) and Homework 1 Background Supplemental readings:
|
video, slides, hw1 |
| Feb 16, 2021 |
Lecture 5 | Clonezilla Demo and Reconnaissance Demo (only class #55022) This on-campus lecture and office hours are cancelled due to inclement weather and the rolling blackouts in the Lawrence area. See here for the latest updates. The lecture will be moved to Tuesday, Feb 23. More details will follow. |
slides-clonezilla |
| Feb 18, 2021 |
Lecture 6 |
Clonezilla Demo and Reconnaissance Demo (only class #58733) Due to the rolling blackouts in the Lawrence area and KU campuses being closed on Tuesday (2/16), the deadline for Homework 1 (HW1) has been extended to Sunday, February 28th. |
slides-clonezilla |
| Feb 23, 2021 |
Lecture 7 |
Clonezilla Demo and Reconnaissance Demo (only class #55022) First in-class lectures (Lectures 6 and 7) recap: video, sql-intro, dvwa-demo-queries. |
slides-clonezilla |
| Feb 25, 2021 |
Discussion (Lecture 8) |
Exploiting Vulnerabilities, Metasploit Overview, and Password Cracking (Part 1) Optional: Join the live discussion session at 5:30PM CT over Zoom to ask questions about Homework 1 (HW1) and/or other course materials. Supplemental readings: |
video-1, video-2, slides-1, slides-2 |
| Mar 2, 2021 |
Lecture 9 | Password Cracking (Part 2) Supplemental readings: |
video, slides |
| Mar 4, 2021 |
Report 1 (Lecture 10) |
Firewalls, Report 1 Overview | report1, firewalls-video, firewalls-slides |
| Mar 9, 2021 |
Lecture 11 | Metasploit, OpenVAS Activities, and Password Cracking (only class #55022) |
|
| Mar 11, 2021 |
Lecture 12 | Metasploit, OpenVAS Activities, and Password Cracking (only class #58733) Second in-class lectures (Lectures 11 and 12) recap: video |
|
| Mar 16, 2021 |
Lecture 13 | Sniffing Network Traffic Supplemental readings:
| video, slides |
| Mar 18, 2021 |
Homework 2 (Lecture 14) |
Interacting with Network Traffic Supplemental readings:
| hw2, video, slides |
| Mar 23, 2021 |
Lecture 15 | Denial of Service (Part 1) Report 1 feedback: video | video, slides |
| Mar 25, 2021 |
Lecture 16 | Denial of Service (Part 2) | video, slides |
| Mar 30, 2021 |
Homework 3 (Lecture 17) |
Interacting with Network Traffic and DoS/DDoS Activities (only class #55022) |
hw3 |
| Apr 1, 2021 |
Homework 3 (Lecture 18) |
Interacting with Network Traffic and DoS/DDoS Activities (only class #58733) No in-class lecture today, it will be moved to a later date (please see instructor's email)Third in-class lectures (Lecture 17) recap: video |
hw3 |
| Apr 6, 2021 |
Lecture 19 | Wireless Network Cracking - WEP | video, slides |
| Apr 8, 2021 |
Lecture 20 | Wireless Network Cracking - WPA WPA/WPA2 instructions handout: wpa-wpa2-hand-outIn-class lecture from April 1st for class #58733 (Thursday section) has been moved to April 22nd | video, slides |
| Apr 13, 2021 |
Lecture 21 | Logging and Auditing Supplemental readings:
| video, slides |
| Apr 15, 2021 |
Lecture 22 | Introduction to Security Onion | video, slides |
| Apr 20, 2021 |
Report 2 (Lecture 23) |
Plan for the Remainder of the Semester |
report2, video |
| Apr 22, 2021 |
Lecture 24 | Trends and Research in Cyber Security Make-up lecture: In-class lecture today only for class #58733 (Thursday section)Homework 3 feedback: video | video, slides |
| Apr 27, 2021 |
Lecture 25 | Wireless Network Activity (only class #55022) |
Apr 29, 2021 |
Lecture 26 | Wireless Network Activity (only class #58733) Fourth in-class lectures (Lectures 25 and 26) recap: video |
| May 4, 2021 |
Lecture 27 | Final Exam Review | video, slides |
| May 6, 2021 |
Lecture 28 | Q&A Session | info |
| May 11, 2021 |
Final Exam | Take-home exam |
details |
Extra Credit
You can earn an extra 5% on your final grade by identifying, reading,
and summarizing 5 conference articles from the following venues:
IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy (S&P),
ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS),
USENIX Security,
Network and Distributed System Security Symposium (NDSS).
Only these four conferences (from 2011 to 2021) will be accepted.
Partial credit will also be awarded for less than 5 articles.
Requirements:
- Articles should be related to the material we are covering in class (i.e. cyber defense articles)
- Articles should not be older than 10 years (i.e. 2011 or newer)
- For each article, the summary should be between one and two pages long (11pt font, 1-inch margins, single spaced). Summarize the content of the article based on your understanding.
- Submission details: Summaries should be saved in
one file (.pdf or .txt format)and uploaded via Blackboard (link will be available in the Assignments section). Number the articles and for each article, state its title, author(s), publishing venue, publication year, and a link to the article (can be a direct link to the article or a link to the article's entry in the society's digital library e.g., an IEEE Xplore link).
File name:yourLastName-465-ec.pdforyourLastName-465-ec.txt(Don't submit .doc, .docx, .odt, or any other file formats; ONLY .pdf or .txt are accepted)
Deadline for submitting the extra-credit assignment:Thursday, May 6 2021 at 11:59pm CT
Articles serving as class reading materials (i.e., posted in the course schedule) can NOT be used for extra credit.
Note! If you are not sure whether an article is appropriate for earning extra credit,
write a few lines about why you think the article is related to the material covered in class
and feel free to contact the instructor.
Note! You can access directly IEEE and ACM articles for free if you are connected to KU's network
(e.g., wireless JAYHAWK network). You can also use the following links (especially when you are off-campus): ACM-Digital-Library, IEEE-Xplore.
Other societies such as USENIX may have all materials available for free from any network.
Important! Besides the instructor's and the grader's/TA's assessments, your summaries will be ran through software applications (Blackboard's SafeAssign and one other application) for identifying plagiarism. Read the articles, write your own summaries, and you will be rewarded.
Tentative Roadmap
| Week | Week of | Topic(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2/1 | Introduction and networking primer — format: |
|
| 2 | 2/8 | Reconnaissance and Introduction to SQL Injections — format: |
Assigning Homework 1 |
| 3 | 2/15 | Clonezilla Demo and Reconnaissance Demo — format: On-campus (2002 Eaton Hall) |
|
| 4 | 2/22 | Vulnerability Scanners, Metasploit, and Password Cracking (Part 1) — format: |
|
| 5 | 3/1 | Password Cracking (Part 2), Firewalls, and Network Threats & Defenses — format: |
Assigning Report 1 |
| 6 | 3/8 | Metasploit and OpenVAS Activities — format: On-campus (2002 Eaton Hall) |
|
| 7 | 3/15 | Sniffing and Interacting with Network Traffic — format: |
Assigning Homework 2 |
| 8 | 3/22 | DoS and DDoS attacks — format: |
|
| 9 | 3/29 | Interacting with Network Traffic and DoS/DDoS Activities — format: On-campus (2002 Eaton Hall) |
Assigning Homework 3 |
| 10 | 4/5 | Wireless Network Cracking — format: |
|
| 11 | 4/12 | Logging & Auditing and Introduction to Security Onion — format: |
|
| 12 | 4/19 | Trends and Research in Cyber Security — format: |
Assigning Report 2 |
| 13 | 4/26 | Wireless Network Cracking Activity — format: On-campus (2002 Eaton Hall) |
|
| 14 | 5/3 | Final exam review — format: |
|
| 15 | 5/10 | Finals week — format: |