This course aims to give students a solid understanding of the basics of modern internet technologies and an introduction to the most common types of attacks used in cybercrime and cyberwarfare. Taught by a long-time cybersecurity practitioner, each session will begin with a lecture covering the basics of an area of technology and how that technology has been misused in the past. After a short break, students will then begin a hands-on lab section, with the guidance of the instructor, where they attack a known insecure system using techniques and tools seen in the field. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a basic understanding of some of the most common offensive techniques in use today as well as the impact of AI on cybersecurity. No computer science background is required. All students must bring a Windows, Mac OS X or Linux laptop to class. This course is restricted to INTLPOL 25 students, with enrollment preference given to Masters in International Policy (MIP) students and other non-tech graduate students. MIP students contact jjachter@stanford.edu for an enrollment code. Other students apply at https://goto.stanford.edu/hacklab26
3 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
This course aims to give students a solid understanding of the basics of modern internet technologies and an introduction to the most common types of attacks used in cybercrime and cyberwarfare. Taught by a long-time cybersecurity practitioner, each session will begin with a lecture covering the basics of an area of technology and how that technology has been misused in the past. After a short break, students will then begin a hands-on lab section, with the guidance of the instructor, where they attack a known insecure system using techniques and tools seen in the field. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a basic understanding of some of the most common offensive techniques in use today as well as the impact of AI on cybersecurity. No computer science background is required. All students must bring a Windows, Mac OS X or Linux laptop to class. This course is restricted to 25 students, with enrollment preference given to Masters in International Policy (MIP) students and other non-tech graduate students. MIP students contact jjachter@stanford.edu for an enrollment code. Other students apply at https://goto.stanford.edu/hacklab26
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.