IT 542 Defensive Programming: Securing Software from Threats

This graduate-level course explores the theory and practice of defensive programming and secure software development practices—the discipline of software design and implementation that anticipates and protects against attacks, errors, misuse, and unexpected conditions. It explores the prevention, detection, and mitigation of vulnerabilities during the coding phase of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Students learn how to develop code that is resilient, maintainable, and secure in a variety of modern-day environments. They learn to recognize insecure coding patterns, apply secure design principles, and adhere to industry and government standards. Through hands-on assignments, code reviews, and a final project, students will learn to apply defensive programming principles to real-world software systems to enhance application resiliency, security, and trust. Students must achieve a minimum grade of B-. Prerequisite: Foundational knowledge of cybersecurity and software development processes. (3)