CYBR 365-001/MIS 592-001 Ethical Hacking

Syllabus - Fall 2025

Required Text

CEH Certified Ethical Hacker, 5th edition
by Matt Walker

 

Course Description

Prerequisite: CYBR/MIS 324 and MIS 352.
This course advances students' knowledge of penetration testing, network vulnerabilities, and hacking. Topics include analyzing advance techniques for circumventing network security hardware and software. Upon completion, students should be able to assemble test kits for multiple operating systems, and scan footprint networks.

Schedule (*all times are ET)

Week of Tue/Thur: Reading Assignments
19/21 August No class Tuesday
Introduction
Get book/labs
26/28 August RBC: CH 1, Getting Started: Essential Knowledge ICQ: In-Class Quiz I [due 28Aug@0830]
TQ: Vocab 1 [due 31Aug@2359]
HO-PL: Footprinting and Reconnaissance Techniques [due 31Aug@2359]
HO-EC: Footprinting and Reconnaissance [due 31Aug@2359]
2/4 September RBC: CH 2, Reconnaissance: Information Gathering for the Ethical Hacker ICQ: In-Class Quiz II [due 4Sep@0830]
TQ: Vocab 2 [due 7Sep@2359]
HO-PL: Network Reconnaissance Techniques [due 7Sep@2359]
HO-EC: Scanning Networks [due 7Sep@2359]
9/11 September RBC: CH 3, Scanning and Enumeration
11 Sep@0845 Career Dev Brief
ICQ: In-Class Quiz III [due 11Sep@0830]
TQ: Vocab 3 [due 14Sep@2359]
HO-PL: Enumeration Reconnaissance Techniques [due 14Sep@2359]
HO-EC: Enumeration [due 14Sep@2359]
16/18 September RBC: CH 4, Sniffing and Evasion ICQ: In-Class Quiz IV [due 18Sep@0830]
TQ: Vocab 4 [due 21Sep@2359]
HO-PL: Network sniffing Techniques [due 21Sep@2359]
HO-EC: Sniffing [due 21Sep@2359]
23/25 September RBC: CH 5, Attacking a System ICQ: In-Class Quiz V [due 25Sep@0830]
TQ: Vocab 5 [due 28Sep@2359]
HO-PL: Vulnerability Analysis Tools and Techniques [due 28Sep@2359]
HO-PL: System Hacking Methodologies [due 28Sep@2359]
HO-EC: Vulnerability Analysis [due 28Sep@2359]
HO-EC: System Hacking [due 28Sep@2359]
30 September/2 October RBC: CH 6, Web-Based Hacking: Servers and Applications ICQ: In-Class Quiz VI [due 2Oct@0830]
TQ: Vocab 6 [due 5Oct@2359]
HO-PL: Compromising Web Servers [due 5Oct@2359]
HO-PL: Web Application Hacking [due 5Oct@2359]
HO-EC: Hacking Web Servers [due 5Oct@2359]
HO-EC: Hacking Web Applications [due 5Oct@2359]
7/9 October RBC: CH 7, Wireless Network Hacking
No class Thursday (Fall Break)
TQ: Vocab 7 [due 12Oct@2359]
HO-PL: Denial of Service Attacks [due 12Oct@2359]
HO-EC: Hacking Wireless Networks [due 12Oct@2359]
HO-EC: Evading IDS, Firewalls, and Honeypots [due 12Oct@2359]
14/16 October RBC: CH 8, Mobile Communications and the IoT ICQ: In-Class Quiz VII [due 16Oct@0830]
TQ: Vocab 8 [due 19Oct@2359]
HO-PL: Session Hijacking Concepts [due 19Oct@2359]
HO-EC: Hacking Mobile Platforms [due 19Oct@2359]
HO-EC: IoT and OT Hacking [due 19Oct@2359]
21/23 October RBC: CH 9, Security in Cloud Computing ICQ: In-Class Quiz VIII [due 23Oct@0830]
TQ: Vocab 9 [due 26Oct@2359]
HO-PL: Introduction to Cloud Computing [due 26Oct@2359]
HO-EC: Cloud Computing [due 26Oct@2359]
28/30 October RBC: CH 10, Trojans and Other Attacks ICQ: In-Class Quiz IX [due 30Oct@0830]
TQ: Vocab 10 [due 2Nov@2359]
HO-PL: Malware Threat Concepts [due 2Nov@2359]
HO-EC: Malware Threats [due 2Nov@2359]
HO-EC: Denial-of-Service [due 2Nov@2359]
4/6 November RBC: CH 11, Cryptography
No class Thursday (Conf travel)
TQ: Vocab 11 [due 9Nov@2359]
HO-PL: Cryptography Techniques [due 9Nov@2359]
HO-EC: Cryptography [due 9Nov@2359]
11/13 November RBC: CH 12, Low Tech: Social Engineering and Physical Security ICQ: In-Class Quiz X [due 13Nov@0830]
TQ: Vocab 12 [due 16Nov@2359]
HO-PL: Social Engineering Exploits [due 16Nov@2359]
HO-EC: Social Engineering [due 16Nov@2359]
18/20 November RBC: CH 13, The Pen Test: Putting It All Together ICQ: In-Class Quiz XI [due 20Nov@0830]
TQ: Vocab 13 [due 23Nov@2359]
HO-PL: SQL Injection Methodologies [due 23Nov@2359]
HO-EC: SQL Injection [due 23Nov@2359]
HO-EC: Session Hijacking [due 23Nov@2359]
25/27 November
Project Presentations
No class Thursday (Thanksgiving)
Project Presentations
2/4 December Project Presentations & Wrap-up No class Thursday (Reading Day)
10/12 December Final Exam 0800-1100, 11 December

RBC = Read Before Class; TQ = Take Quiz; ICQ = In-Class Quiz; HO = Hands-on; PL = Practice Labs; EC = EC-Council

Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

  1. Assess ethical and legal requirements of security assessment and penetration testing and determine a strategy to comply with these requirements.
  2. Analyze different phases of hacking and recommend the strategy to use ethical hacking for assessing security of various components of information system.
  3. Compare and contrast different hacking techniques and analyze the legal implications of hacking.
  4. Examine different vulnerabilities, threats and attacks to information systems and recommend the countermeasures.
  5. Analyze cryptography algorithms and encryption techniques, and design implementation strategies for securing information.
  6. Compare and contrast various network security assessment and hacking tools.
  7. Assess various network security techniques and tools and implement appropriate level of information security controls based on evidence, information, and research.

Policy Information

Academic Honor Code

As a student at The University of North Carolina Wilmington, I am committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. I pledge to uphold and promote the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is a community of high academic standards where academic integrity is valued. UNCW students are committed to honesty and truthfulness in academic inquiry and in the pursuit of knowledge. This commitment begins when new students matriculate at UNCW, continues as they create work of the highest quality while part of the university community, and endures as a core value throughout their lives.

Please read and be familiar with the UNCW Student Academic Honor Code. I have highlighted some parts that are particularly relevant to courses I teach here.

Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated in this class.

Time Commitment

It is a matter of UNC system policy that you should expect to be committed for an average of 8.5 hours per week (hpw) to this class (or any 3-credit hour class you take at UNCW).

A credit hour is defined as one 50-minute meeting of face-to-face instruction per week for 15 weeks, plus a minimum of 2 hours per week for 15 weeks of out-of-class student work.

You should be mentally prepared to spend ~8.5 hpw on this class.

Grading

Grading Scale (+/- at instructor discretion)

A: (avg >= 90)
B: (90 > avg) and (avg >= 80)
C: (80 > avg) and (avg >= 70)
D: (70 > avg) and (avg >= 60)

Coursework Weighting

5% Vocab Quizzes
50% Labs
25% Project
20% Final

Late Policy

Vocab quizzes are due each week and will not be accepted late except in the case of an unexpected life event (e.g. car accident, illness, family death, etc.).

In-class quizzes can be taken only on the day offerred. If you are absent unexcused you will receive a zero. If you are absent excused you will receive no grade and it will neither help nor hurt your overall course average.

Labs have recommended due dates to allow reasonable pacing; however, all labs will be accepted as long as they are completed by the last day of class.

Extra Credit

There is no specified extra credit in this class. I may, on occasion, subjectively award extra credit for assignment solutions that demonstrate meaningful, functional effort beyond the norm.

Attendance

Our class meets in person. I am not planning to offer Zoom attendance as an option. If you think it is to your benefit to attend, please do so. Otherwise, you will not be penalized for non-attendance. There are in-person quizzes that you will miss and for which you will receive no credit if you do not attend.

Communication

The best way to contact me is via email. When writing me email, please, indicate your class AND section number. Also, be clear/concise: start with your question and then provide supporting details. You do not need to tell me how hard you have been working or how confused you are. Example
If you post questions in the assignment comment section in Canvas, I will likely not see it - don't do that.

Student Illness

Students are to do a health check each day before coming to campus. Students who experience COVID-19 symptoms should immediately contact the Abrons Student Health Center at (910) 962-3280. If a student becomes ill, s/he should let the professor know and must not attend the course in-person. If a student is too ill to attend virtually, they will be given the opportunity to complete the material asynchronously.

Disaster Contingency Plan

In the event that UNCW closes, students will be given an assignment to make up for 1 week of missed class time. This will be emailed to students within two days of the UNCW closing announcement. In the event that the rest of the semester is online, students need to be prepared by having reliable internet access, a webcam, and a microphone.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability and need accommodations, you must be registered with Disability Services (DePaolo Hall, 910.962.7555). Please provide your Accommodations Letter within the first week of class or as soon as possible. You should then meet with your instructor to make mutually agreed upon arrangements based upon the recommendations in the Accommodations Letter. For additional information, please see UNCW Disability.

Title IX

UNCW takes all forms of interpersonal violence very seriously. When students disclose, first- or third-hand, to faculty or staff about sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking, this information must be reported to the administration in order to ensure that students' rights are protected, appropriate resources are offered, and the need for further investigation is explored to maintain campus safety. There are three confidential resources who do not need to report interpersonal violence: UNCW CARE, the Student Health Center, and the Counseling Center. If you want to speak to someone in confidence, these resources are available, including CARE's 24-hour crisis line (910-512-4821). For more information, please visit www.uncw.edu/care

Code of Student Conduct

This course is subject to the Code of Student Life of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (the Code). The full Code is found here Code of Student Life. UNCW practices zero tolerance for violence and harassment of any kind. For emergencies, contact UNCW CARE at 910.962.2273 or Campus Police at 910.962.3184. For University or community resources visit Safe Relate Campus Resources.

Religious Observance Policy

In accordance with NC SL 2010-211, students are entitled to two excused absences for religious observances per academic year. These absences must be requested using the form provided on SeaNet, under "Student Services." These requests must be submitted by the student prior to the absence. Once the request is submitted, an email will be sent to all impacted instructors automatically. There is no need to send additional notification to instructors or the Registrar's Office. Any absence for religious purposes will be considered unexcused unless the appropriate form is submitted.

Seahawk Respect Compact

In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students, faculty, staff and the broader community.

Therefore, we expect members of the campus community to honor these principles as fundamental to our ongoing efforts to increase access to and inclusion in a community that nurtures learning and growth for all.