EECS 765, Fall 2026

Introduction to Cryptography and Computer Security

Course Goals

The overall goal of the course is to provide a solid theoretical foundation and hands-on experience in applying the theory to practice for cryptography, computer and communication security. The course materials cover common attack techniques, application of cryptography in security, authentication and authorization, network security, enterprise network defense, web security, and economics of cybersecurity. Besides the mechanisms for enhancing security that will be taught, a significant part of the course is dedicated to discussions on how design flaws in a system can be exploited to compromise security and, in general, the circumstances that lead to things going wrong. Students will have the opportunity to work on course projects that cover both the defense and offense aspects in the cyber space. Interesting research topics may be derived from course projects.

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.

Aug 25, 2026
on-campus

Lecture 1

Introduction

Supplemental readings:

(Optional) Textbook: M. Bishop. 2019. Computer Security, 2nd Edition - Chapter 1

video, slides

Aug 27, 2026
on-campus

Lecture 2

Buffer Overflow Exploit
The source code getscore.c The sample score file score.txt
Supporting older ciphers, key exchange protocols, and MACs on newer SSH clients.
Virtual machine used in the demonstration redhat8.

Supplemental readings:

Unix - File Permission / Access Modes.
Unix Permissions Calculator.
(Optional) Textbook: M. Bishop. 2019. Computer Security, 2nd Edition - Appendix D

video, slides

Instructor and Course Meeting Times

Lectures	Tuesday & Thursday 9:30am - 10:45pm, 2003 Eaton Hall
Instructor	Alex Bardas Office Hours: Tuesday 11:30am-1:30pm and Thursday 11am-12pm & 3:15pm-4:15pm CT in 2040 Eaton Hall (Email appointment required for meetings outside office hours or via Zoom/Teams) : `alexbardas ku edu`
Graduate Teaching Assistant	Bryan Richlinski Office Hours: Monday 3pm-4pm and Wednesday 3pm-4pm CT in 2003 Eaton Hall (Email appointment required for meetings outside office hours or via Zoom/Teams) : `b748r023 ku edu`
Graduate Teaching Assistant	Josh Welicky Office Hours: Friday 10am-11am CT in 2003 Eaton Hall (Email appointment required for meetings outside office hours or via Zoom/Teams) : `joshuawelicky ku edu`

Syllabus

The syllabus is available through Simple Syllabus: EECS 765 Syllabus (Fall 2026). Simple Syllabus can also be accessed directly via Canvas. Please review the syllabus regularly, as course information, policies, and other content may be updated throughout the semester.
Announcements: You are responsible for all announcements we make during the lectures, over Canvas, and/or email. Announcements may include information about assignments, changes in the syllabus, etc.

Acknowledgments

The course materials are adapted from a previous version of the course taught by Xinming (Simon) Ou together with Xiaolong (Daniel) Wang. Some additional materials are adapted from the BlackHat Exploit Laboratory (thanks to Saumil Shah and S.K. Chong who kindly permit the use of their materials).