This specialization is intended for computer scientists and engineers wishing to expand their technical expertise to the realm of Computing Security, with a broad skill-set and understanding of offensive Cybersecurity. Regardless of what area of Computing you may want to specialize in – from networking and systems to algorithms in machine learning and AI – a deep understanding of how the underlying technologies work, and how they can be abused, is essential to a robustly functioning, secure computing environment. One thing we have learned from the remarkable history of Computing is that staying ahead of attackers requires adopting the adversarial mindset. We aim to develop this mindset through a series of three courses, each exploring a different realm of technology. Throughout the series, expect an in-depth technical treatment with little reliance on pre-made tooling, as we seek to create exploits from scratch. By completing the specialization, you will have gained exposure to modern attacks on computer networks, web applications, binary programs, and cutting-edge areas of research in subverting AI systems.
Applied Learning Project
Learners will engage with a variety of guided examples, videos, selected readings and hands-on lab assignments that will include programming, scripting, and bypassing protections in hardened environments. Circumventing basic mitigations will be a common theme throughout.
