CYBR 365-001/CYBR 571-001/MIS 592-001 Ethical Hacking

Syllabus - Spring 2026

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
13/15 January Introduction
RBC: CH 1, Getting Started: Essential Knowledge
Get book/labs
ICQ: In-Class Quiz I [due 15Jan@0830]
TQ: Vocab 1 [due 18Jan@2359]
HO-AL: 1-Introduction to Ethical Hacking [due 18Jan@2359]
HO-EC: 02-Footprinting and Reconnaissance [due 18Jan@2359]
20/22 January RBC: CH 2, Reconnaissance: Information Gathering for the Ethical Hacker ICQ: In-Class Quiz II [due 22Jan@0830]
TQ: Vocab 2 [due 25Jan@2359]
HO-AL: 2-The Technical Foundations of Hacking [due 25Jan@2359]
HO-EC: 03-Scanning Networks [due 25Jan@2359]
27/29 January RBC: CH 3, Scanning and Enumeration ICQ: In-Class Quiz III [due 29Jan@0830]
TQ: Vocab 3 [due 1Feb@2359]
HO-AL: 3-Footprinting, Reconnaissance, Scanning, and Enumeration [due 1Feb@2359]
HO-EC: 04-Enumeration [due 1Feb@2359]
3/5 February RBC: CH 4, Sniffing and Evasion ICQ: In-Class Quiz IV [due 5Feb@0830]
TQ: Vocab 4 [due 8Feb@2359]
HO-AL: 4-Enumeration and System Hacking Attack Techniques [due 8Feb@2359]
HO-EC: 08-Sniffing [due 8Feb@2359]
10/12 February RBC: CH 5, Attacking a System
Career Center Visitor 0845
ICQ: In-Class Quiz V [due 12Feb@0830]
TQ: Vocab 5 [due 15Feb@2359]
HO-AL: None
HO-EC: 05-Vulnerability Analysis [due 15Feb@2359]
HO-EC: 06-System Hacking [due 15Feb@2359]
17/19 February RBC: CH 6, Web-Based Hacking: Servers and Applications
No class Tuesday (WITX)
ICQ: In-Class Quiz VI [due 19Feb@0830]
TQ: Vocab 6 [due 22Feb@2359]
HO-AL: 7-Web Server hacking, Web Applications, and Database Attacks [due 22Feb@2359]
HO-EC: 13-Hacking Web Servers [due 5Oct@2359]
HO-EC: 14-Hacking Web Applications [due 5Oct@2359]
24/26 February RBC: CH 7, Wireless Network Hacking ICQ: In-Class Quiz VII [due 26Feb@0830]
TQ: Vocab 7 [due 1Mar@2359]
HO-AL: 8-Wireless Technologies, Mobile Security, and Attacks [due 1Mar@2359]
HO-EC: 16-Hacking Wireless Networks [due 1Mar@2359]
HO-EC: 12-Evading IDS, Firewalls, and Honeypots [due 1Mar@2359]
3/5 March No class (Spring Break)
10/12 March RBC: CH 8, Mobile Communications and the IoT ICQ: In-Class Quiz VIII [due 12Mar@0830]
TQ: Vocab 8 [due 15Mar@2359]
HO-AL: 9-Evading IDS, Firewalls, and Honeypots [due 15Mar@2359]
HO-EC: 17-Hacking Mobile Platforms [due 15Mar@2359]
HO-EC: 18-IoT and OT Hacking [due 15Mar@2359]
17/19 March RBC: CH 9, Security in Cloud Computing ICQ: In-Class Quiz IX [due 19Mar@0830]
TQ: Vocab 9 [due 22Mar@2359]
HO-AL: 11-Cloud Computing, IoT, and Botnets [due 22Mar@2359]
HO-EC: 19-Cloud Computing [due 22Mar@2359]
24/26 March RBC: CH 10, Trojans and Other Attacks
No class Tuesday (Business Week)
ICQ: In-Class Quiz X [due 26Mar@0830]
TQ: Vocab 10 [due 29Mar@2359]
HO-AL: 6-Sniffers, Session Hijacking, and Denial of Services [due 29Mar@2359]
HO-EC: 07-Malware Threats [due 29Mar@2359]
HO-EC: 10-Denial-of-Service [due 29Mar@2359]
31 March/2 April RBC: CH 11, Cryptography
No class Thursday (Easter)
TQ: Vocab 11 [due 5Apr@2359]
HO-AL: 10-Cryptographic Attacks and Countermeasures [due 5Apr@2359]
HO-EC: 20-Cryptography [due 5Apr@2359]
7/9 April RBC: CH 12, Low Tech: Social Engineering and Physical Security ICQ: In-Class Quiz XI [due 9Apr@0830]
TQ: Vocab 12 [due 12Apr@2359]
HO-AL: 5-Social Engineering, Malware Threats, and Vulnerability Analysis [due 12Apr@2359]
HO-EC: 09-Social Engineering [due 12Apr@2359]
14/16 April RBC: CH 13, The Pen Test: Putting It All Together ICQ: In-Class Quiz XII [due 16Apr@0830]
TQ: Vocab 13 [due 19Apr@2359]
HO-AL: None
HO-EC: 11-Session Hijacking [due 19Apr@2359]
HO-EC: 15-SQL Injection [due 19Apr@2359]
21/23 April Project Presentations Project Presentations
28/30 April
Wrap-up No class Thursday (Reading Day)
5/7 May Final Exam 0800-1100, 7 May

RBC = Read Before Class; TQ = Take Quiz; ICQ = In-Class Quiz; HO = Hands-on; AL = Ascend 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.