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CS 458Computer Security and Privacy

Faculty
Mathematics
Last listed
Spring 2024

No longer offered. It was in Waterloo’s course catalog since at least Winter 2020 (as far back as Open Data goes) to Spring 2024 and last ran in Winter 2024. It isn’t in the 2024–25 or later calendars.

When it ran

  1. W20
  2. S20
  3. F20
  4. W21
  5. S21
  6. F21
  7. W22
  8. S22
  9. F22
  10. W23
  11. S23
  12. F23
  13. W24

Ran in 13 terms, Winter 2020 to Winter 2024.

Security and privacy issues in various aspects of computing. Specific topics include comparing security and privacy, program security, writing secure programs, controls against program threats, operating system security, formal security models, network security, Internet application security and privacy, privacy-enhancing technologies, database security and privacy, inference, data mining, security policies, physical security, economics of security, and legal and ethical issues. [Note: Lab is not scheduled and students are expected to find time in open hours to complete their work.]

Requirements, as last listed

Prereq: CS 350 or SE 350. Computer Science students only. Antireq: ECE 458

In today’s calendar

  • ECE 409 lists it as an antirequisite
  • ECE 458 lists it as an antirequisite

Reviewed on UW Flow

89% liked it54% easy91% useful

From 132 ratings and 30 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • If CS 350 is a prerequisite, networking and databases should also be. That said, I don't think you really need any of those classes to understand the material (I didn't have either of networking or databases); they would just help because the networking section assumes you know the networking layers, and the database section assumes you know some of the fundamentals about database implementation.
    This course should really be broken up into at least two courses and modernized a bit. There's a lot of breadth covered, but not much depth.

    May 2017 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • An OK course. Exams were mostly just memorizing and regurgitating information from powerpoint slides. Assignments were a lot more interesting - be sure to start early on them.

    Jun 2016 · liked it · 2 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Very useful content but some parts can be dry if you're not into cybersecurity. Mark was made up of assignments, LEARN quizzes, and final exam. The exam was pretty fair but there was a lot of content to remember for it. And the assignments get easier as the term goes on. The first one was the hardest CS assignment I've ever done, the second wasn't too bad, and the third was free marks. That being said, all the assignments were quite fun to do.

    Dec 2023 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • A course covers a lot of stuff in CS. A3 is very easy, A1 and A2 take a certain amount of time. Final is hard, questions are open-ended, so you really need to learn. I suggest taking it along with or after CO487.

    Jan 2021 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Super fun and rewarding. Both the lectures and the assignments were enjoyable (A1 was a bit of a pain...) and the professors were great at teaching it.

    Jul 2020 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

413 posts and comments in 330 threads mention CS 458, July 2012 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2024

How was it? CS459 Privacy, Cryptography,Network and Data Security 12 points, 16 comments

u/LaApplePear: “I was planning on taking CS458 Computer Security and Privacy, sadly no longer offered. How was CS459 Privacy, Cryptography,Network and Data Security? For anyone taking it this term. …”

u/Ok-Conclusion-5481: [deleted]

u/MeteorFossil: “… I took it after I took CS 458, and it goes more in-depth into the more interesting parts of 458. If you were looking at 458, this is definitely the way to go, not 459. …”

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Spring 2024

Winter 2024

Cs 4A Course Load 8 points, 5 comments

“Hey does anyone know how manageable this course load is lol. Cs349 user interfaces Cs449 human-computer interaction Cs456 computer networks Cs489 advanced topics: privacy, crypto, data security …”

u/ivanivanchenchen: “… - CS 489 - I'm not sure how much this relates to CS 458 but 458 had pretty confusing and "different" assignments and a LOT of memorization of content for final; content taught in class was rarely applicable to assignments. - I've heard networks isn't that bad. …”

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CS489: New Security Course 14 points, 2 comments

“Has anyone taken the new security courses? How is it? CS 489/698 Software and Systems Security and CS 489/689 Privacy, Cryptography, Network, and Data Security Which once is better and what is a good …”

u/lazydudeisquick: “CS458 was actually taught by two different professors. First half was Software and Systems Security and second was Privacy, Cryptography, Network, and Data Security. …”

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Fall 2023

4th year SE electives 1 point, 2 comments

“What ATEs (CS/ECE/open list) for SE are the most useful and interesting? Also, what are some bird courses to take as open electives?”

u/mk12360: “I graduated SE 2019. These were my favourite ATEs, I'd say they're useful and interesting: CS 458 Computer Security and Privacy CS 444 Compiler Construction CLAS 104 (Classical Mythology) is a good bird course.”

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Spring 2023

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In the scanned calendars

How it read in each calendar from 1985–86 to 1994–95, newest first. The text is OCR of the scanned pages; years whose wording matches are shown once, from the clearest scan. Each year links to its page on uwloo and to that page of the scanned PDF.

1985–86 to 1994–95 10 calendars

An introduction to the design of digital systems such as those used in microcomputers, control and industrial applications, or those dedicated to specific tasks. Topics include: digital electronics, microprocessors, memory chips and systems, standard and specialized peripheral chips, development and integration systems, and case studies. Laboratory-oriented: small teams design and implement microprocessor-based systems.

Prereq: CS 350, 369 and fourth-year standing in a Computer Science Major program. .

Offered Fall, Spring · 3 class hours a week · 0.5 credit