Foundations of Secure Programming for Intelligent Systems ((3 Credits))

Catalog description

This course provides an in-depth exploration of secure software development practices essential for building resilient systems in today's threat landscape. Students will examine the fundamental principles of secure coding, common software vulnerabilities, and the methodologies to prevent, detect, and mitigate them across different programming languages and platforms. The course combines theoretical foundations with hands-on lab exercises, enabling students to analyze real-world security flaws, implement secure coding techniques, and apply best practices such as input validation, authentication, access control, secure session management, and memory safety. Topics include secure design patterns, threat modeling, static and dynamic analysis, secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC), secure coding standards (e.g., OWASP, CERT), and defensive programming. Emphasis will also be placed on language-specific issues Python and other programming languages. By the end of the course, students will be able to critically assess software for security flaws, write secure code, and contribute to building trustworthy systems.