Spring 2026 - CMPT 783 G100
Cybersecurity Lab II (6)
Class Number: 5500
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Tue, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Tao Wang
taowang@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
CMPT 782. This course is only available to students enrolled in the master of cybersecurity program.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Students will learn the fundamental principles of system and network security by studying attacks on computer systems, network and cloud infrastructure and how to prevent and detect them. The focus is on hands-on experiences. Students will be able to explain and reproduce former and recent system attacks, build network defensive systems, and design computer systems that are immune to these attacks.
COURSE DETAILS:
The topics covered in this course are:
I. System security
- Shellcode development
- Buffer overflow
- Control-flow attacks and defenses
- Format string vulnerabilities
- Return-to-libc attacks
- Return Oriented Programming
II. Network Security
- Network architecture and routing
- ARP/ICMP
- Network analysis
- TCP/IP attacks
- DNS attacks
- Firewalls
- VPNs
Grading
NOTES:
Marking
Your project will be graded on the following:
- Presentation (30%) - communication skill, clarity, organization, and content;
- Report (30%) - professional writing, organization, and content;
- Code deliverable (40%) - novelty, impact, scale, and security skills demonstrated.
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
- Computer & Internet Security: A Hands-on Approach, Wenliang Du, May 1 2019, 9781733003933
- The Practice of Network Security Monitoring: Understanding Incident Detection and Response, Richard Bejtlich, Jul 15 2013, 9781593275099
- Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (7th Edition), James Kurose and Keith Ross, Apr 26 2016, 9780133594140
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Department Graduate Notes:
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Students must attain an overall passing grade on the weighted average of exams in the course in order to get a C- or higher.
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All student requests for accommodations for their religious practices must be made in writing by the end of the first week of classes, or no later than one week after a student adds a course. After considering a request, an instructor may provide a concession or may decline to do so. Students requiring accommodations as a result of a disability can contact the Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca).
Graduate Studies Notes:
Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.