COSC 55.02 Security Engineering
This course explores the foundational principles of cybersecurity systems engineering, equipping students with timeless design concepts essential for building secure systems. Students will examine how security theory arises from understanding insecurity, the interplay between failure, reliability, and security, and the fundamentals of cybersecurity risk assessment. Core topics include the building blocks of cybersecurity—prevention, detection, reaction, and attack tolerance—as well as intrusion detection architecture, situational awareness, and command and control. Through a structured top-down and bottom-up approach, students will develop the ability to identify and prioritize system risks, and design holistic architectures that effectively address the full spectrum of cyber threats. By learning to think like attackers, students will enhance their capacity to anticipate and defend against evolving threats with agility and foresight. This course prepares students not only to address today’s cybersecurity challenges, but to adapt quickly to future landscapes. Not open to students who have received credit for COSC 19.02.