Fall 2026
Department of Computer Science
University of Arizona
(Note: This is a summarized syllabus; see the full version here.)
The goal of this graduate seminar is to learn more about research in the general field of computer security. We will review and critique research papers spanning current, important topics in security. Specific topics will be determined by the current literature and by instructor and student interest. Students will also strengthen research skills by conducting a research project on a security topic of their choice. Course communications will be done through D2L (and e-mail, as applicable).
Most lectures will be discussion-based, covering 1-2 research papers per class. Students must submit conference-style paper reviews before class (via D2L). Students are expected to come to class having read the papers and be prepared to discuss and critique them (scope, motivation, methodology, strengths, weaknesses, evaluation, etc.). The instructor will facilitate discussion and provide additional background context for each module. Other lectures may consist of alternative research-based activities (e.g., artifact evaluation) and guest lectures. Note that this schedule may change during the semester based on class interest, invited guest lectures, and instructor travel. All changes will be announced by email as early as possible.
A number of sessions are reserved for student-led discussion, where a student will present the paper then facilitate discussion (much like a conference Program Chair) of the paper. Each student will present approximately twice over the semester (the exact number depends on class size).
Students will also complete a course project on a security topic of their choice, culminating in a short conference-style research report (any paper template is fine) and a final in-class presentation at the end of the semester. The project can be a security idea you have always wanted to pursue, a security angle on your current research, a reproduction study of a published work, etc. The only requirement is that it must intersect with security. The instructor will provide suggestions and feedback on project ideas, and students are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the instructor early in the semester. Detailed requirements for each project milestone are posted on D2L.
| Week | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction | |||
| 1 | Aug 24Class intro & syllabus; how to read a paper | Start thinking about project topics Optional reading: How to Read a Paper, Mitzenmacher on Reading | |
| Software Supply Chain Security | |||
| 1 | Aug 26Supply Chain Attack Taxonomy | Optional reading: Reflections on Trusting Trust | |
| 2 | Aug 31in-toto | Sep 2Reproducible Builds | Student presentation signup |
| 3 | Sep 7No class (Labor Day) | Sep 9Pushed by Accident | |
| 4 | Sep 14Hypocrite Commits | Sep 16Project brainstorming session | Bring a short written project idea (post to D2L the day before) |
| LLM & Agent Security | |||
| 5 | Sep 21Agentic AI Threat Landscape | Sep 23Indirect Prompt Injection | |
| 6 | Sep 28Jailbroken | Sep 30GCG Attack | |
| 7 | Oct 5IsolateGPT | Oct 7Lab: IsolateGPT implementation | Project proposal due (Oct 7) |
| 8 | Oct 12AgentDojo | Oct 14LLM App Data Collection | |
| 9 | Oct 19Extracting Training Data | Oct 21Poisoning Web-Scale Data | |
| Systems Security | |||
| 10 | Oct 26SGX Explained | Oct 28TDX Demystified | |
| 11 | Nov 2SGX.Fail | Nov 4Project development session | Status report due (Nov 2) |
| 12 | Nov 9Nimble | Nov 11No class (Veterans Day) | |
| 13 | Nov 16syncfs Side Channels | Nov 18Lab: measuring the syncfs channel | |
| Web Security | |||
| 14 | Nov 23Site Isolation | Nov 25CSP Is Dead | |
| 15 | Nov 30Silent Spring | Dec 2Cached and Confused | |
| 16 | Dec 7Online Tracking at Scale | Dec 9Final project presentations | |
| Finals | |||
| 17 | Dec 14No class meeting | Final paper due (Dec 14) | |
| Component | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Paper reviews | 25% | Grading based on paper reviews being submitted on time and containing structured critiques. The three lowest review scores are dropped, so no documentation is needed for a missed review. This applies to reviews only; in-class participation is graded separately, and you are still expected to attend and come prepared. |
| In-class participation | 25% | Grading based on students coming to lectures prepared with questions and discussion points, and engaging with other student critiques. |
| Paper presentations | 20% | Grading is based on student coverage of the assigned paper (motivation, scope, methodology, key results, and conclusions) and engagement with other students while leading the discussion. |
| Course project | 30% | A proposal, a mid-semester status report, and a final presentation and report, which together should form a self-contained research artifact. Requirements and the weight of each milestone are posted on D2L. |
This course includes topics related to computer security. We may cover technologies whose abuse could infringe on the rights of others. As computer scientists, we rely on the ethical use of these technologies. Unethical use includes circumvention of any existing security mechanisms for any purpose, or the dissemination, promotion, or exploitation of vulnerabilities of these services. Any activity outside the letter or spirit of these guidelines will be reported to the proper authorities and may result in dismissal from the class and possibly more severe academic and legal sanctions.