Topics in Computer and Network Security

Stanford CS 356, Fall 2026

CS 356 is graduate course that covers foundational work and current topics in computer and network security. The course consists of reading and discussing published research papers, presenting recent security work, and completing an original research project.

📌 Course Information

Discussion: M/W 10:30–11:50 AM. Littlefield 103.
⚠️ This course is based on in-person discussion of research. On time, in-person attendance and participation is required.

Instructor: Zakir Durumeric. Office Hours: Monday 12:00–1:00 PM, after class. Or, by appointment.

Course Assistant: Rumaisa Habib. Office hours by appointment.

Prerequisites: CS 356 is open to all graduate students as well as advanced undergraduate students. While the course has no official prerequisites, it requires a mature understanding of software systems and networks. Students are expected to have taken CS 155: Computer and Network Security or equivalent.

Communication: We use Ed Discussion for announcements and discussion. Students can submit anonymous feedback at any time.

Submissions: All course assignments are to be submitted through Gradescope. Enrollment code: YGR33Y.

🗓️ Topics and Schedule

The tentative schedule and required readings for the class are below:

🚩 Course Structure

This course is composed of three parts: reading and discussing foundational papers in every class, reading and presenting recent work for one class, and completing a group research project. Grading will be based on:

📚 Readings and Discussion (30%)

We will read and discuss 1–2 papers for each class. Typically, these are formative works in an area of security. Students should come prepared to actively discuss assigned papers and to make substantive intellectual contributions. This means that you need to thoroughly read each paper ahead of time. Before each section, students will submit a short (400 word) summary and reaction for each each paper, as well as a proposal of one discussion question for class.

📨 Students should submit the reading assignments through Gradescope by 10:30 am on the day of each class. Paper responses should be completed individually without the assistance of LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT).

Grading will be based 20% on these written responses and 10% on in-class participation. We do not allow any late days for paper reactions, but students may skip two paper summaries and two lectures without penalty. We will take class attendance. However, participation grades are based on not only attendence, but active participation during class discussion.

📣 Do not underestimate the amount of time required to properly read and process a research paper. Expect to spend several hours preparing for each section.

🧑‍🏫 Topic Presentation (15%)

While reading formative papers helps to demonstrate how a subfield started, it oftentimes leaves us wondering how the area has evolved. To fill this gap, each student in the class will present one recent paper during the quarter topically relevant to that day's class. At the start of the quarter, students will have the opportunity to sign up for the topic/date that they want to present their paper.

Students are expected to perform a literature search and to select a paper that was published in the last three years from a top-tier venue in security (e.g., IEEE Security and Privacy, USENIX Security, ACM Computer or Communication Security) or adjacent field (e.g., CHI, NSDI, ASPLOS, PLDI, SIGCOMM, etc.). Be wary of other publications from IEEE, most are not top-tier venues and papers will not be accepted for presentation.

⚠️ Student presentations must be 10-12 minutes and allow for 2-5 minutes of questions. We will cut presentations off at 12 minutes, which will impact your presentation grade. Be prepared to answer questions about the paper you present.

⚠️ Students must submit their papers to approval to the teaching staff a minimum three days prior to their presentation.

🔬 Course Project (55%)

Students will complete a quarter-long original research project in small groups (1–3 students) on a topic of their own choosing. Groups will present their work during the last two sections as well as submit a 6–10 page report, similar to the papers we read in the course.

Projects have four graded components:

• Project Proposal (5%). Project groups will meet with course staff to discuss their project during the third week of class and submit a one page project proposal. Reports must include a complete Introduction, and Related Work section. Due 10/14.
• Mid-Quarter Progress Report (5%). Submit a short (1–2 pages) progress report part way through the quarter. The report should indicate what has been accomplished, what work is remaining, obstacles the team has encountered, and any preliminary data or insights. Reports must include a complete Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, and Related Works section. Due 11/20 (11:59 PM PT).
• Class Presentation (10%). Each group will give a 15 minute class presentation during the last week of the course.
• Final Paper (35%). Groups will submit a final project report similar to the papers we read in the course. Papers should be 6–10 pages. Papers must include Abstract, Introduction, Related Work, Methodology, Results and Discussion/Conclusion. Due 12/11 (11:59 PM PT).

All written submissions related to the course project are to be written in paragraph form, in English, using LaTeX, and submitted in PDF form, inline with the examples provided at the start of the quarter. Submissions must use the USENIX LaTeX template. We strongly encourage you to read Writing Technical Articles if you haven't previously published academic research work in computer science.

⚙️ Administrivia

Students should submit all reports through Gradescope by classtime at 10:30 am on the day of each deadline.

In past offerings, well-executed projects have led to publications at top-tier security conferences and workshops. The teaching team is happy to work with groups to publish their work.

All submitted work for this course must by directly written by the submitting student(s). Using generative AI tools to read papers or generate reading responses is prohibited. Using AI tools to assist with research project implementation, proofread paper submissions, or battle-test ideas is acceptable. Students must describe their usage of AI in any submission where it is utilized and are responsible for the accuracy of the results in their submissions.

Attendance on 11/30 and 12/2 is required for all students. This class has no final exam.

Stanford as an institution is committed to the highest quality education, and as your teaching team, our first priority is to uphold your educational experience. To that end we are committed to following the syllabus as written here, including through short- or long-term disruptions, such as public health emergencies, natural disasters, or protests and demonstrations. However, there may be extenuating circumstances that necessitate some changes. Should adjustments be necessary, we will communicate clearly and promptly to ensure you understand the expectations and are positioned for successful learning.