Master's Degree Program

IT-Security

part-time

 
 

IT-Security

The intertwinement of telecommunications, mobile communications and data networks is turning IT security into an explosive topic and a key risk factor in today's businesses. Services such as e-commerce, e-government or digital media and their copyright protection severely stress data, network and transmission security. In the master's degree program you will be specializing in aspects of technical security and the "human risk factor"

Department
Engineering
Topic
Technologies

Highlights

  • Holistic view of software, hardware, people

  • Current topics like cyber security and cyber defense and additional certifications in demand in the industry

  • Know-how transfer from university's own research center for AI, Software and IT security

  • Incorporation of secure software engineering through elective modules from the Master's degree program in Software Design and Engineering

     

    Facts

    Final degree

    Master of Science in Engineering (MSc)

    Duration of course
    4 semesters
    Organisational form
    part-time

    Tuition fee per semester

    € 363,361

    + ÖH contribution + costs for optional additional services, if applicable2

    ECTS
    120 ECTS
    Language of instruction
    German

    Application Winter semester 2027/28

    01. October 2026 - 10. June 2027

    Study places

    25

    1 Tuition fees for students from third countries € 727 per semester. Details on tuition fees can be found in the general fee regulations.
    2 The costs depend on the additional services selected from the University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna, such as work clothing, licenses, tutorials, or excursions.
    * Subject to approval by the relevant bodies or AQ Austria.

    The duration of studies can also be extended to 6-8 semesters within the framework of a partial study programme with a correspondingly reduced ECTS workload.

    Before the studies

    Data protection and system security are your top priority. You have the ability to identify potentially weak points in systems and networks. This motivates you to find suitable measures to prevent manipulation and to block unauthorized access. New technologies arouse your interest - yet always with guaranteed security standards in mind. Your are familiar with encryption methods and you would like, in your master's degree program, to delve deeper into cryptography as a field for research and application.

    Why you should study with us

    Participate in interdisciplinary student or research projects

    This way, fun and experience are guaranteed!

    Practical training on campus

    Modern laboratory equipment and high-tech research facilities enable practice-oriented teaching.

    Unique job opportunities


    Obtain additional certificates while still studying and increase your market value.

    Relevant admission requirement

    The relevant admission requirement is

    • a completed relevant bachelor's degree or
    • the completion of an equivalent degree at a recognized domestic or foreign post-secondary educational institution

    with 180 ECTS credits. As a rule, at least 42 ECTS credits of these must be from a subject-relevant course, e.g. information technologies, software engineering, network technology, operating systems, fundamentals of computer science, etc. In exceptional cases, the FH-Council (university council) decides together with the head of the degree program.

    The bachelor's degree programs Computer Science and Digital Communications, Information Technologies and Telecommunications (discontinued) and Applied Electronics und Technical Informatics offered at Hochschule Campus Wien meet the relevant admission requirement.

    Language requirements for admission

    The required language level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR​​​​​​​) is at least

    • German - level B2.

    Legalization of foreign documents

    Applicants may require legalization of documents from countries other than Austria in order for them to have the evidential value of domestic public documents. Information on the required legalizations can be found here in PDF format.

    Translation of your documents

    For documents that are neither in German nor English, a translation by a sworn and court-certified interpreter is required. Your original documents should have all the necessary legalization stamps before translation so that the stamps are also translated. The translation must be firmly attached to the original document or a legalized copy.

    Online application - uploading documents

    As part of your online application, upload scans of your original documents including all required legalization stamps. For documents not issued in German or English, scans of the corresponding translations must also be uploaded. The head of the study program decides on the equivalence of international (higher) education qualifications. Therefore, your documents can only be checked as part of the ongoing application process.

    Your path to studying at Hochschule Campus Wien begins with your registration on our application platform. In your online account, you can start your application directly or activate a reminder if the application phase has not yet started.

    Documents for your online application

    Proof of identity

    • passport or
    • identity card or
    • Austrian driving license (proof of citizenship required) or
    • residence permit (proof of citizenship required)

    Change of name - proof

    • e.g. marriage certificate - only required if your current name does not match the name on your proof of identity or on the documents required to prove the admission requirements

    Proof of fulfillment of the relevant admission requirement

    • degree certificate and
    • Transcript of Records or Diploma Supplement

    If you have not yet completed your studies, please upload proof of all courses completed to date as part of the relevant degree program, including ECTS credits.

    Proof of language skills German B2

    For admission, German language skills of at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) must be provided.

    The following applies as proof:

    • secondary school leaving certificate from a German-language school
    • completion of at least three years of studies in German
    • supplementary examination pre-study course - German B2
    • German certificate (not older than 3 years), for example:
      • Austrian German Language Diploma: ÖSD Certificate B2
      • Goethe Institute: Goethe Certificate B2
      • telc: German B2
      • German language test for university admission for foreign applicants: DSH-2
      • German Language Diploma of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany: DSD II
      • Test of German as a foreign language (Test DaF): Level TDN 4 in all parts
      • Language Center of the University of Vienna: Course and successfully passed exam at level B2

    Proof of a higher language level is also valid.

    Curriculum vitae in tabular form in German

    Legalizations and translations, if applicable

    • see tab “Foreign documents and degrees” above

    Your application is valid once you have completely uploaded the required documents. If you do not have all the documents at the time of your online application, please submit them immediately upon receipt by email to the administration of your study program (see section “Contact”).

    After completing your online application, you will receive an email confirmation with information on the next steps.

    The admission procedure checks the applicants' professional suitability for the master's program. It consists of a written test lasting approximately one hour and a subsequent interview with the admissions committee. You will receive the date for the admission procedure from the administration office. The admission interview usually takes place at the Hochschule Campus Wien.

    • Goal
      The goal is to offer a study place to those persons who complete the admission procedure with the best results.
    • Criteria
      The admission criteria are exclusively performance-based. You will receive points for the written test and the interview, after which the candidates will be ranked. Geographical assignments of the applicants have no influence on the admission. The admission requirements must be met. The entire process as well as the evaluations of the admission procedure are documented and archived in a comprehensible manner.

    During the studies

    IT security is a highly agile field. Attacks on servers and networks are getting increasingly sophisticated. Our state-of-the-art network laboratory where you may refine your strategies for preventing unauthorized access and develop measures and scenarios for protection is at your disposal. You will have the opportunity of participating in research and development (R&D) projects, engaging in active exchange between science and practice at the university. The degree program also includes a research center for AI, Software and IT security, working in close cooperation with companies. The research focuses on the transmission of data, safe from manipulation or eavesdropping.

    The number of mobile end devices will continue to increase and thereby also the demands made on data security for these tiny devices with their weak computing power. Sensor nodes which, albeit very versatile, are also small and have limited computing capacity and very little storage space are another example. Contrasting with these, we have the Cloud with its seemingly infinite computing and storage resources. The IT Security master's degree program addresses both these developments in its research program.

    The course experts implement, evaluate and compare a diversity of cryptographic algorithms in the affiliated Research Center AI, Software and IT Security.

    The goal is to establish easily realizable secure data encryption options in practice. Findings are directly incorporated into the degree program to assuring you, the master's student, of a decisive advantage of knowledge. The specialist know-how of our lecturers is also in high demand internationally. Experts of the AI, Software and IT Security Research Center are often asked to participate as speakers at international conferences on data security and data protection. Papers published by the IT experts often receive awards from external experts.

    The master's degree program will impart to you the know-how enabling you to make overall system security assessments. To achieve this goal, you will combine your technical knowledge of information technology, data systems and communication networks with the focus on IT security. You will also acquire skills in personal development and business administration.

    • You have in-depth knowledge on the levels of software, networks, systems and security. The technical focus is on secure software design, cryptography, data protection, IT architecture and secure network engineering.
    • You will expand your social and management skills in terms of communication style, leadership and management know-how. Knowledge of business administration and the legal framework of data security will round out your education.
    • In the 3rd semester, you can choose elective modules from the Master’s degree program in Software Design and Engineering, thereby incorporating the cutting-edge topic of secure software engineering into your studies.

    Curriculum

    Module Applied Network Security and Access Management

    Applied Network Security and Access Management

    6 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyze the structure and functioning of computer networks, including wireless networks, and derive prioritized solutions for the security challenges addressed, based on recognized standards and organizational guidelines and with responsibility for implementation control.

    • Graduates design and control the allocation of access rights in distributed environments, based on RBAC/ABAC models, zero trust principles and organization-specific access control policies and audit criteria under permanent threat conditions and scarce resources.

    • Graduates implement and operate security mechanisms in resource-limited, highly dynamic environments and ensure their effectiveness based on defined metrics, logs and compliance requirements.

    6 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Identity and Access Management | ILV

    Identity and Access Management | ILV

    2 SWS   4 ECTS

    Content

    • Technical basics of identity management, conceptual differences between centralized and decentralized systems (e.g. permissionless blockchains, such as Bitcoin and Etherum)
    • Single sign-on systems, Shibboleth, Kerberos
    • OAuth, OpenID Connect, SAML; FIDO, U2F
    • Secure management of user data, passwords, fingerprints, payment information in multi-user and distributed systems (including mobile operating systems).
    • Practical implementation in small groups or individually (e.g. setting up a U2F system, integrating a product into LDAP/AD, ... )

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyze problems of identity management, authentication and access control in distributed information systems and design security-by-design solutions with suitable protocols and models, aligned with recognized standards and organization-specific guidelines and with responsibility for implementation control.

    • Graduates systematize widely used protocols and techniques and analyse one or two variants per technology in detail, including clear differentiation criteria and based on recognized reference models and standards.

    • Graduates will implement the secure storage and verification of user credentials (e.g. passwords, fingerprints) and ensure compliance with recognized applied cryptography practices, relevant standards and data protection requirements, including secret management, hashing/salt strategies and FIDO-based procedures.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises in small groups, distance learning

    Examination

    Final exam: Final inspection, presentations, standard

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    2 SWS
    4 ECTS
    Network Security | ILV

    Network Security | ILV

    4 SWS   6 ECTS

    Content

    * Network Security

    • Firewalls, IDS, IPS, eMail, DNS
    • 802.1x
    • Dealing with Wireshark, possibly scripting Wireshark (e.g. creating a dissector)
    • Large Scale Firewalls (exercise with thousands of IP ranges) and other difficulties of scaling security measures to large systems.
    • SIEM (exercise with Splunk, etc.)
    • VPN basics
    • VLAN, segmentation of networks
    • Monitoring & testing, IMS
    • Security perimeter
    • Attack classification according to Cyber Killchain and MITRE AT&ACK, APTs

    * Wireless networks

    Comparison and deepening of security mechanisms and problems of managed and unmanaged computer networks.

    • WiFi, WEP, WPA, Enterprise WPA
    • LTE/5G
    • Bluetooth

    Differentiation: IoT networks such as LoraWan, Zigbee, Matter are taught in the IoT modules if required.

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyse the security-relevant fundamentals of modern wired and wireless networks and derive prioritized protective measures based on recognized standards and organization-specific guidelines. Graduates design and validate security measures for wireless networks on layers 1 and 2 of the ISO/OSI model (encryption, authentication, segmentation) for different network types, taking into account performance and interference restrictions as well as compliance requirements.

    • Graduates analyze a selected current technology and systematically delimit available alternatives based on relevant standards and decision criteria, taking into account historical undesirable developments as lessons learned to avoid mistakes and justify the choice of technology.

    • Graduates analyse the limitations of the ISO/OSI model and design typical security architectures across network layers, aligned with recognized standards and organization-specific guidelines. Graduates evaluate practical implementations presented in guest lectures and derive transferable design principles for multi-layer network security.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, guest lectures, practical exercises

    Examination

    Final exam: Final examination, exercises, standard

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    4 SWS
    6 ECTS
    Module Applied Cryptography

    Applied Cryptography

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyze the security architecture of TLS including handshake, certificate chain, cipher suites and PKI and validate the parameterization and implementation according to TLS-1.3 and relevant standards, taking into account organization-specific policies.

    • Graduates integrate cryptography into software projects in a security-oriented manner and derive suitable procedures and configurations on the basis of underlying mathematical principles, taking into account typical error patterns as well as performance and side-channel restrictions.

    • Graduates evaluate risks from cryptographic design and implementation decisions and prioritize measures to secure data transmission and data storage, based on threat models and compliance requirements.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Applied Cryptography | ILV

    Applied Cryptography | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    Symmetric cryptography (minimal, only the correct types)

    • AES (no DES, etc.); Block vs Streamcipher
    • Pseudorandom permutations (PRP)
      • Authenticated Encryption (AEAD concepts)
    • AES-GCM, possibly ChaCha20-Poly1305
    • Why Encrypt-than-MAC was historically important
    • Operating modes: conceptual only; ECB as a negative example
      • (Why AEAD is standard today - not how to implement each mode)

    Hash functions & passwords

    In addition to cryptographic hash functions (SHA-256/512) and their properties (preimage, collision, avalanche), the curriculum here extends well beyond the TLS focus in the direction of password storage:

    • why SHA-* is unsuitable
    • bcrypt/scrypt/argon2
    • salt, pepper, work factors

    Asymmetric cryptography

    • Diffie-Hellman (classic as a concept, ECDHE in practice)
    • RSA (only for signatures & legacy; typical errors e.g. padding)
    • Elliptic curves (not necessarily computation, but model, security assumptions, design philosophy, security, performance; specifically compare 2 curves e.g. SECp256r1, Curve25519)

    Protocol & system level

    • Certificates, PKI (X.509 structure, trust anchors, CA model: strengths & weaknesses)
    • Certificate Pinning (short), Certificate Transparency
    • Comparison between TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3; history and design flaws

    Assembling a complete TLS handshake

    • Message by message
    • Who knows what and when?
    • Which element is responsible for which security properties?
    • How and where are keys created
    • then practically in Wireshark and own program code

    Outlook

    • Post-quantum cryptography
    • Possible basic idea (Shor, Grover)
    • Hybrid key exchange (TLS1.3 PQ)

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyze TLS 1.2/1.3 including handshake, certificate validation, cipher suites and PKI and validate secure configurations according to relevant RFC standards and organization-specific policies. Graduates correctly integrate cryptography into their own software projects and justify the selection and parameterization of the procedures based on the underlying mathematical principles, avoiding typical error patterns and taking into account secure coding guidelines.

    • Graduates systematize selected cryptographic concepts and algorithms beyond TLS and analyze their application limits and security parameters in practice-relevant application scenarios, aligned with relevant standards and organization-specific guidelines.

    • Graduates analyze the modern cryptography stack conceptually in depth and transfer their understanding to new application scenarios, aligned with relevant standards and organization-specific guidelines and based on defined assessment criteria. Graduates model cryptographic primitives as independent building blocks and justify their selection and composition beyond the TLS context, taking into account typical attack models, performance and compliance restrictions.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Secure Software Development

    Secure Software Development

    6 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students will be able to develop secure software architectures and applications, apply security principles such as Least Privilege and Zero Trust and avoid common vulnerabilities according to the OWASP Top 10.

    • Students are able to identify security risks in the development process, create threat models, carry out secure code reviews and use modern security tests such as static analysis, fuzzing and penetration testing.

    • Students integrate security-by-design into the entire software lifecycle, implement DevSecOps methods and plan secure projects taking into account compliance specifications and current industry requirements.

    6 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Advanced Project Management | ILV

    Advanced Project Management | ILV

    2 SWS   4 ECTS

    Content

    This course deals with the management and process aspects of secure software development and shows how security activities can be organizationally and strategically integrated into software projects. Students learn about established reference models and maturity level approaches for secure software development and examine how security-relevant activities can be systematically anchored throughout the entire development process.

    Another focus is on risk and compliance management in software projects. Students deal with the identification, evaluation and prioritization of security risks as well as the consideration of relevant norms, standards and legal requirements. They learn how to design development processes and project documentation in such a way that security and compliance requirements are met in a comprehensible manner.

    The course also covers organizational aspects of secure software engineering. Students deal with role models, team organization and communication structures and learn about measures to promote a sustainable security culture. Finally, current requirements and developments in the professional environment are reflected upon in order to be able to classify the acquired skills in a professional context.

    Learning results

    • Students are able to anchor security aspects in the planning and management of software projects by defining suitable processes, roles and metrics and systematically planning and coordinating security-relevant activities in both agile and traditional development models.

    • Students are able to implement risk and compliance management in the software development process by systematically assessing and prioritizing security risks and deriving suitable measures as well as taking into account relevant norms, standards and legal requirements to ensure adherence to compliance requirements in development projects.

    • Students are able to promote cooperation between development, security and operations teams and build a sustainable security culture by implementing suitable organizational measures, supporting knowledge transfer and acting as an interface between technical and functional roles, as well as classifying requirements and qualification profiles in the area of secure software engineering.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, discussion and group discussions, analysis of case studies (e.g. known software security projects and security incidents from a management perspective), practical exercises (creation of security concepts, project plans, risk analyses in groups)

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    2 SWS
    4 ECTS
    Secure Software Engineering | ILV

    Secure Software Engineering | ILV

    4 SWS   6 ECTS

    Content

    This course teaches the basics of secure software engineering and deals with the systematic integration of security aspects throughout the entire software development process. Students acquire knowledge of the Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SSDLC) and learn how security requirements are identified, specified and taken into account during requirements engineering using suitable methods such as misuse cases.

    Building on this, concepts of secure software architectures and security-oriented design approaches are taught. Students deal with secure design principles, security design patterns and methods of threat modeling and architecture risk analysis (e.g. STRIDE) in order to identify and evaluate potential attack surfaces at an early stage.

    Another focus is on secure implementation in practical programming languages and development environments. Using typical vulnerabilities, in particular the OWASP Top 10, the causes of security gaps and suitable countermeasures are discussed. Secure programming practices, the use of suitable frameworks and libraries as well as security mechanisms of modern application protocols for distributed applications are discussed.

    In addition, security-oriented quality assurance measures are taught. These include secure code reviews and the use of tools for static and dynamic security analysis, software composition analysis and advanced methods such as fuzzing and basic methods of penetration testing. Through practical exercises, students apply the content taught and deepen their understanding. The course enables students to systematically design and implement software securely and to recognize and resolve security problems at an early stage

    Learning results

    • Students are able to systematically integrate security requirements into the software development process at an early stage by taking security objectives and misuse cases into account during requirements engineering and deriving technical requirements from them.

    • Students are able to design secure software architectures and identify vulnerabilities by applying threat modeling and architecture risk analysis as well as applying secure design principles and security design patterns to specific design decisions.

    • Students are able to practically implement secure coding techniques, recognize and eliminate typical security vulnerabilities and systematically secure and improve source code with the help of secure coding guidelines, automated tests, code reviews and static analysis.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical programming exercises (hands-on labs), discussion of case studies (e.g. analysis of real security incidents caused by insecure software) and supervised group work (e.g. joint threat modeling or code review session)

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    4 SWS
    6 ECTS
    Module IT Security Project

    IT Security Project

    1 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students are able to systematically plan, practically implement and critically evaluate offensive and defensive IT security measures by analyzing realistic attack scenarios, implementing suitable countermeasures and reflecting on their effectiveness.

    • Students are able to carry out complex security analyses in technical infrastructures in a methodically sound manner, including vulnerability identification, attack chain modeling, risk assessment and comprehensible technical and management-oriented documentation.

    • Students are able to implement security projects in a team-oriented and responsible manner, taking into account legal and ethical framework conditions and integrating both operational (red/blue team) and strategic perspectives of information security.

    1 SWS
    5 ECTS
    IT-Security Project I | ILV

    IT-Security Project I | ILV

    1 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    1. Introduction to practice-oriented security projects
    2. Setting up and using secure test environments
    3. Attack & defense techniques (hands-on)
    4. Capture-the-flag (CTF) scenarios
    5. Project work:

    Working on a structured mini-security project in teams
    Analysis of a given infrastructure
    Identification, exploitation and protection of selected vulnerabilities
    Preparation of a technical project report

    Learning results

    • Students are able to practically apply and technically analyze attack and defense techniques by identifying typical vulnerabilities in IT systems, carrying out attacks in a controlled laboratory environment and implementing suitable countermeasures.

    • Students are able to carry out security analyses in a methodically structured manner, including reconnaissance, vulnerability assessment, documentation of the results and comprehensible technical reporting.

    • Students are able to responsibly implement security projects in a team, taking into account legal and ethical framework conditions and using cooperative working methods (e.g. red/blue team approaches).

    Teaching method

    Lecture, discussion and group discussions, analysis of case studies (e.g. known software security projects and security incidents from a management perspective), practical exercises (creation of security concepts, project plans, risk analyses in groups)

    Examination

    Final exam: Project submission

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    1 SWS
    5 ECTS

    Module Secure Software Development

    Secure Software Development

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students will be able to develop secure software architectures and applications, apply security principles such as Least Privilege and Zero Trust and avoid common vulnerabilities according to the OWASP Top 10.

    • Students are able to identify security risks in the development process, create threat models, carry out secure code reviews and use modern security tests such as static analysis, fuzzing and penetration testing.

    • Students integrate security-by-design into the entire software lifecycle, implement DevSecOps methods and plan secure projects taking into account compliance specifications and current industry requirements.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    DevSecOps | ILV

    DevSecOps | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    This course deals with the integration of software development, IT operations and security in terms of the DevSecOps paradigm. Students gain an understanding of the basic concepts of DevOps and DevSecOps as well as principles such as automation, continuous integration and delivery, infrastructure as code and the systematic embedding of security measures along the entire software delivery process. Both shift-left approaches for early integration of security and shift-right approaches for monitoring and reacting during operation are covered.

    A central focus is on the development and operation of security-oriented CI/CD pipelines. Students learn how automated security checks can be integrated into all phases of the pipeline in order to continuously identify vulnerabilities and systematically secure releases. In addition, security aspects of modern operating environments are discussed, especially in the context of containerization, cloud deployment, configuration and secret management as well as monitoring and incident response.

    In addition, the course deals with current threats and protective measures in the DevSecOps environment, for example in the area of software supply chain security and modern cloud-native architectures. Practice-oriented exercises deepen the content and enable students to implement DevSecOps concepts, tools and processes in an exemplary manner. The course thus promotes a holistic understanding of the organizational, technical and cultural implementation of security in modern software delivery processes.

    Learning results

    • Students will be able to integrate security into modern software delivery processes by building and operating CI/CD pipelines with automated security checks and using appropriate DevSecOps tools to continuously detect and fix vulnerabilities.

    • Students are able to design and manage secure operating environments for applications by considering security aspects of containerization, cloud deployment and configuration management and systematically implementing measures to secure modern infrastructure.

    • Students are able to establish a DevSecOps culture in development projects by promoting collaboration between development, operations and security, using security-related feedback mechanisms and analyzing and coordinating security incidents in CI/CD environments.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, lab-like exercises (hands-on in virtual CI/CD environments), team project work (configuration of a sample DevSecOps pipeline in small groups), live demonstrations of attack and defense techniques in a pipeline context as well as exchange of experiences/workshops.

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module IT Security Project

    IT Security Project

    1 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students are able to systematically plan, practically implement and critically evaluate offensive and defensive IT security measures by analyzing realistic attack scenarios, implementing suitable countermeasures and reflecting on their effectiveness.

    • Students are able to carry out complex security analyses in technical infrastructures in a methodically sound manner, including vulnerability identification, attack chain modeling, risk assessment and comprehensible technical and management-oriented documentation.

    • Students are able to implement security projects in a team-oriented and responsible manner, taking into account legal and ethical framework conditions and integrating both operational (red/blue team) and strategic perspectives of information security.

    1 SWS
    5 ECTS
    IT-Security Project II | ILV

    IT-Security Project II | ILV

    1 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    1. Advanced attack scenarios
    2. Advanced red/blue team exercises
    3. Incident Response & Forensics (Introduction)
    4. Security architecture & resilience
    5. Project work (capstone character)

    Implementation of a comprehensive team project:

    • Planning
    • Attack simulation
    • Defense & analysis
    • Final report with catalog of risks and measures
    • Presentation to an expert audience (technical management perspective).

    Learning results

    • Students are able to realistically plan, execute and evaluate complex attack scenarios by applying advanced techniques (e.g. multi-stage attacks, lateral movement, APT-like scenarios) in controlled environments and analyze their effects.

    • Students are able to develop and implement holistic defense and incident response strategies, including detection mechanisms, forensic analysis, evaluation of security incidents and derivation of sustainable protective measures.

    • Students are able to manage security projects strategically and communicate them professionally by evaluating technical results in a risk-oriented manner, preparing them for management and embedding them in an organizational security context.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, lab-like exercises (hands-on in virtual CI/CD environments), team project work (configuration of a sample DevSecOps pipeline in small groups), live demonstrations of attack and defense techniques in a pipeline context as well as exchange of experiences/workshops.

    Examination

    Final exam: Project submission

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    1 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Security Engineering for IoT, OT and Operating Systems

    Security Engineering for IoT, OT and Operating Systems

    6 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyse the security challenges and dependencies of modern IoT and OT systems and classify them in the overall context of networked infrastructures, taking into account lifecycle-related risks, interoperability and real-time requirements as well as organization-specific policies.

    • Graduates assess systemic risks and attack surfaces in IoT and OT architectures and prioritize risk-adequate measures for operation and maintenance, taking into account regulatory and organizational framework conditions.

    • Graduates design segmented security architectures for networked IoT and OT environments and validate their effectiveness based on defined criteria and reference frameworks, taking into account availability, latency and safety requirements.

    6 SWS
    10 ECTS
    IoT and OT Security | ILV

    IoT and OT Security | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    The course provides a comprehensive understanding of security in the Internet of Things and introduces basic concepts, principles and technologies of IoT and OT systems, including hardware, software and communication aspects as well as their energy consumption. Particular attention is paid to the specific threat situations in the embedded area, which result from long life cycles, physical access to devices or limited computing resources, for example. Students deal with typical attacks on IoT and OT systems, including firmware extraction, side-channel attacks and manipulation of the boot process, ICS/SCADA threats, lateral movement between IT/OT, safety-security trade-offs and at the same time learn about suitable countermeasures at hardware, firmware and software level. The aim is to understand the particular security challenges of networked devices and to develop robust protection mechanisms for practical use.

    Learning results

    • Students will be able to analyze key security requirements and threats in the Internet of Things (IoT) and in operational technology (OT), in particular risks arising from networked devices, limited resources and long life cycles.

    • Students will be able to recognize and evaluate typical attack scenarios on IoT and OT systems, including firmware extraction, side-channel attacks, manipulation of boot processes, ICS/SCADA threats and lateral movement between IT/OT.

    • Students are able to choose the prioritization of the protection goals integrity (IoT), confidentiality (IoT) and availability (OT).

    • Students are able to select and apply suitable technical protective measures at hardware, firmware and software level to make IoT and OT systems resilient against relevant attacks throughout their entire life cycle.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises

    Examination

    Final exam: Group work, final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Operating Systems Security | ILV

    Operating Systems Security | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    Basic concepts and architecture of modern operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS)

    • Goals such as isolation, least privilege, mediation, trust boundaries
    • Securing processes vs threads,
    • User roles and authorization concepts
    • Access control and security features of file systems
    • Storage protection, containers and virtualization

    Operating system-specific features

    • Mandatory access control systems (e.g. SELinux, AppArmor)
    • Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), Data Execution Prevention (DEP) / NX-Bit
    • Linux ACLs and extended file system mechanisms
    • Windows NTFS-specific security features (e.g. Alternate Data Streams), UAC and Integrity Levels
    • Namespaces and control groups
    • Code signing and secure boot
    • Sandbox concepts on desktop and mobile platforms

    Hardware-supported security

    • Threat models and their limits
    • Trusted Platform Module (TPM), Secure Enclave and coprocessors.
    • Modern CPU-based measures such as Memory Protection Keys (MPK on Intel), Pointer Authentication (PAC on ARM)

    Virtualization and cloud

    • Containers, VM
    • Isolation, key management and trust anchors, e.g. with key vaults, HSM

    Security for shared resources

    • Side channels and covert channels
    • RAM attacks, cache-based side channel attacks
    • Countermeasures at operating system and platform level (effectiveness, side effects)

    The exercise deals with selected chapters in the form of hardening or implementation tasks.

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyse the security architecture of modern operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS) with regard to processes, authorizations, file systems, memory protection and containers and derive prioritized hardening measures for company-specific deployment scenarios, aligned with recognized standards and organization-specific policies. Graduates evaluate and integrate CPU security functions such as Intel MPK, ARM authenticated pointers, TPM and Secure Enclave to secure applications and systems, taking into account application limits in heterogeneous platform environments as well as compliance and performance requirements.

    • Graduates systematize operating system and platform security mechanisms (e.g. key vaults, SELinux/AppArmor, ASLR/DEP/NX, Linux ACLs, NTFS streams, UAC/integrity levels, namespaces, code signing, secure boot, sandboxes) and classify them for PC, mobile systems, cloud platforms and VMs, based on recognized standards and organization-specific policies. Graduates design cross-platform hardening and access strategies using the aforementioned mechanisms in a targeted manner and ensure their effectiveness based on defined criteria and compliance requirements.

    • Graduates analyze attacks on shared resources such as RAM and caches and evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures on the operating system side, based on recognized standards and defined threat models. Graduates design defence strategies for operating, cloud and server environments, including prioritized measures for isolation, monitoring and resource control under compliance and performance requirements.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises

    Examination

    Final exam: Exercises, final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Security Management

    Security Management

    6 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students are able to systematically analyse information security and IT governance structures, methodically assess risks and select, justify and classify suitable organizational, technical and physical control measures, taking into account relevant standards (e.g. ISO 27001, COBIT, BSI basic protection).

    • Students are able to identify and analyze security risks in classic IT and AI-based systems (e.g. adversarial attacks, data poisoning, access control risks) and to design and evaluate suitable measures for the development of robust, trustworthy and compliance-compliant systems.

    • Students are able to systematically analyse complex security-related problems using structured methods (e.g. Theory of Constraints, Current Reality Tree, Intermediate Objectives Map, Evaporating Cloud), develop and prioritize solution options and accompany change processes in an organizational context.

    6 SWS
    10 ECTS
    AI and Security | ILV

    AI and Security | ILV

    2 SWS   4 ECTS

    Content

    The course deals with the fundamental relationships between artificial intelligence and security and provides an understanding of how modern AI systems can contribute to both strengthening and jeopardizing digital protection mechanisms. The most important threats to machine learning, including adversarial attacks, data poisoning, model inversion and other forms of manipulation, as well as the resulting requirements for robust, transparent and trustworthy AI models are discussed. In addition, established principles of cybersecurity are applied to AI systems, in particular risk analysis, system reliability, integrity and secure design of AI lifecycles. Students will explore methods to increase the resilience of AI, secure data collection and processing, monitoring and auditing of models, and governance and compliance aspects. Using current research and real-world case studies, they will learn to identify security vulnerabilities, anticipate threats and develop concepts for security-aware AI systems that meet the requirements of modern industrial and academic standards.

    Learning results

    • Students will be able to identify and analyze key security risks of AI systems, including adversarial attacks, data poisoning and model manipulation.

    • Students will be able to design robust and trustworthy AI models by applying principles of cybersecurity, risk analysis and secure AI lifecycles.

    • Students will be able to select and evaluate practical security measures for AI systems to reduce vulnerabilities and ensure the safe use of AI in critical, potentially adversarial environments.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    2 SWS
    4 ECTS
    Complex Problem Solving | ILV

    Complex Problem Solving | ILV

    2 SWS   3 ECTS

    Content

    In the Complex Problem Solving course, methods of the Theory of Constraints are applied to solve complex problems with a focus on software engineering and security. Starting from a structured and prioritized goal definition, the existing situation is analyzed and problems on the way to the desired situation are systematically analyzed and solved. Finally, the change management methods for implementing the desired situation are explained.
    The following content is covered in particular:

    • Introduction to the Theory of Constraints
    • Categories of the Legitimate Reservation
    • Intermediate Objectives Map
    • Current Reality Tree
    • Evaporating Cloud

    Learning results

    • Graduates systematically analyze complex problems and model them in structured representations, taking into account defined criteria and unforeseeable contextual conditions.

    • Graduates apply the Theory of Constraints to software and security tasks and identify system-critical bottlenecks, with prioritized measures and decision rules as a result, based on defined target values and variable context conditions.

    • Graduates model the goals of IT projects as goal trees and prioritize the goal hierarchies based on defined criteria, aligned with stakeholder requirements and variable context conditions.

    • Graduates design creative solutions using the Evaporating Cloud method and critically compare alternative approaches based on defined criteria, aligned with conflicting objectives and stakeholder requirements.

    • Graduates carry out system improvements using change management methods and communicate the changes to the target group in accordance with defined success criteria and organization-specific guidelines.

    Teaching method

    Case studies, lecture, practical exercises in groups.

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    2 SWS
    3 ECTS
    Information Security Management | ILV

    Information Security Management | ILV

    2 SWS   3 ECTS

    Content

    • IT Security Management and Risk Assessment
    • IT-Security Controls, Plans, and Procedures
    • Physical and Human Resources Security
    • Access Control Management
    • Security Compliance / Audit

    Security Management & IT Governance, ISO 27001:2013, Internal Control System for IT, ISMS Set-up, Risk Management & Business Continuity Management, Policy and Guideline Design, System Development Life Cycle, Access Control, Physical and environmental security, COBIT, Basic Protection Manual

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyze IT security management processes and model the processes of risk analysis, action planning, implementation and effectiveness monitoring based on recognized frameworks and compliance requirements.

    • Graduates carry out formal IT security risk assessments and justify the sequence of steps from context definition to risk analysis to risk treatment using a named framework, taking into account compliance requirements and organization-specific guidelines.

    • Graduates select risk-appropriate security controls and prioritize their implementation based on named frameworks and defined criteria, taking into account compliance and resource restrictions.

    • Graduates evaluate the added value of preventive measures against physical security risks and prioritize their implementation based on defined criteria, taking into account compliance, cost and operational restrictions.

    • Graduates design programs to increase security awareness, including training and education, and evaluate their effectiveness based on defined indicators, taking into account organization-specific guidelines and compliance requirements.

    • Graduates analyse the elements of a security audit architecture and justify their interaction for different organizational contexts, based on recognized standards and compliance requirements.

    • Graduates analyze the essential contents of the ISO 27000 family, COBIT, ITIL and BSI basic protection and derive context-specific governance and security measures based on compliance requirements and organization-specific guidelines.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, individual work on a case study, group work incl. presentation of the results

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    2 SWS
    3 ECTS

    Module Master Thesis Project

    Master Thesis Project

    2 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • After completing this module, students will be able to work on practical problems in the field of IT security independently and in a structured manner

    • After completing this module, students are able to identify and apply suitable methods and technologies for project implementation depending on the project

    • After completing this module, students are able to carry out the entire life cycle of an IT project independently.

    2 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Master Thesis Project | ILV

    Master Thesis Project | ILV

    2 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    Students work individually or in small groups on projects related to IT security technologies and applications in the context of university R&D activities or as part of their individual professional activities. These projects subsequently form the practice-relevant basis for the Master's theses.

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will be able to work independently on IT security problems, apply creative solution approaches and proceed in a project-oriented manner when solving problems

    • After completing the course, students will be able to implement security requirements in more complex IT projects (approx. 3 person-months) in practice

    • After completing the course, students are able to apply the learning outcomes of courses from previous semesters in a specific project

    • After completing the course, students are able to document project results

    Teaching method

    Project support

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Project progress, proof of function, project presentation

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    2 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Electives (25 ECTS of your choice)
    Module Deep Learning

    Deep Learning

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates of this module analyze the theoretical foundations of deep learning (DL) and derive well-founded decisions for the selection and adaptation of model architectures and training strategies in novel problem contexts, taking into account current research as well as ethical and legal frameworks.

    • Graduates of this module critically evaluate DL algorithms and methods and use them in complex, novel application contexts in a targeted manner, based on comprehensible quality criteria and reproducibility, taking into account ethical and legal framework conditions.

    • Graduates of this module can design and develop DL applications such as computer vision, natural language processing and robotics.

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Deep Learning | ILV

    Deep Learning | ILV

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Content

    The following contents will be discussed:

    • Introduction, mode, motivation, basics ML project
    • Machine Learning Project: data analysis, visualization, preparation, model selection and training, evaluation and optimization
    • Introduction to Deep Learning
    • Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN)
    • Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN)
    • Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN)
    • Reinforcement Learning (RL)
    • Applications in computer vision, robotics, natural language processing, medicine and biology.

    The exercise covers the following contents:

    • Development of DL algorithms
    • Creating, training and evaluating CNN, RNN, GAN and RL models
    • Development of a DL pipeline for the selected application
    • DL application in a field of your choice: biology/medicine, robotics, computer vision, natural language processing, etc.
    • DL project implementation and evaluation

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will be able to analyze the theoretical foundations of deep learning (DL) and derive well-founded decisions for the selection and adaptation of model architectures and training strategies in novel problem contexts, taking into account current research as well as ethical and legal frameworks.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to critically evaluate DL algorithms and methods and use them in complex, novel application contexts in a targeted manner, based on comprehensible quality criteria and reproducibility, taking into account ethical and legal framework conditions.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to develop and evaluate DL applications in various fields such as biology/medicine, robotics, computer vision and natural language processing.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to design and implement projects in the field of deep learning.

    Teaching method

    Case studies, lecture, practical exercises in groups.

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Elaboration of a case study, group work, final exam

    Teaching language

    Englisch

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Module Digital Leadership

    Digital Leadership

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates of this module will be able to define and implement a digital leadership strategy.

    • Graduates of this module analyse the concepts and challenges of digital transformation and use them to develop feasible measures for organizational management in complex environments, taking into account current research as well as ethical and legal frameworks.

    • Graduates of this module design and manage distributed and interdisciplinary software development teams in dynamic contexts, using suitable digital collaboration tools and taking organizational and legal framework conditions into account.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Digital Leadership | ILV

    Digital Leadership | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    Digital Leadership provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to operate successfully in management positions in the digital environment. The course contents are:

    • Introduction to digital leadership
    • Strategic management in the digital age
    • Leadership techniques for software teams
    • Digital innovation and technology trends
    • Digital risk management

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will be able to define and implement a digital management strategy.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to explain the concepts and challenges of digital transformation in organizations.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to name and evaluate principles for leading distributed and interdisciplinary software development teams.

    Teaching method

    -

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Project progress, proof of function, project presentation

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Distributed Ledger Technologies

    Distributed Ledger Technologies

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates analyze the basics and limits of distributed ledger systems and develop measures for dealing with attack vectors, privacy and scalability in complex application environments, taking into account legal and ethical framework conditions.

    • Graduates analyze protocols such as Bitcoin and platforms such as Ethereum and develop a qualitatively assured, scalable and secure DApp with Solidity, aligned with defined quality, security and compliance specifications.

    • Graduates evaluate architecture and network topologies of blockchain systems and derive suitable consensus mechanisms and viable application scenarios for different domains, based on current research.

    • Graduates solve game-theoretical problems in novel DLT contexts and justify incentive mechanisms and stability implications for robust protocol designs.

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Distributed Ledger Technologies | ILV

    Distributed Ledger Technologies | ILV

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Content

    The course covers the following content in particular:

    • Game Theory: Basics, static and dynamic games, completeness of information, cooperation and coalition.
    • Bitcoin: Cryptographic basics, wallet, transactions, network, blockchain, consensus, decentralization, mining, attacks.
    • Ethereum and Solidity: Basics, Externally Owned Accounts, Smart Contracts, Transactions, EVM Bytecode, Consensus, Tokens, FT & NFT, EIPs & ERCs, DApps, IPFS, ENS, GSN & Web3.0.
    • Privacy and scalability: mixing, ring signatures and stealth addresses, non-interactive zero knowledge proofs, sharding using the example of Ethereum 2.0, layer 2 scaling, payment and state channels, plasma and rollups
    • Other blockchains and DLTs, including Hyperledger Fabric, R3 Corda, MultiChain, Cardano, Polkadot, Solana, BigchainDB, Hashgraph, IOTA.
    • Use of DLT e.g. in finance, in value chains, in the energy industry and in the public sector.
    • Practical tasks of game theory.
    • Implementation of a DApp: Solidity Smart Contracts for business logic, deployed in an Ethereum testnet, integrated via Web3 with a simple SPA hosted on IPFS.

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will be able to analyze the basics and limitations of distributed ledger systems and develop measures for dealing with attack vectors, privacy and scalability in complex application environments, taking into account legal and ethical framework conditions.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to analyze protocols such as Bitcoin and platforms such as Ethereum and develop a qualitatively assured, scalable and secure DApp with Solidity, aligned with defined quality, security and compliance specifications.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to evaluate architecture and network topologies of blockchain systems and derive suitable consensus mechanisms and viable application scenarios for different domains, based on current research.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to solve game-theoretical problems in novel DLT contexts and justify incentive mechanisms and stability implications for robust protocol designs.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, Flipped Classroom (with check-off exercise)

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Quality of game theory presentations by students.

    Lab group work - grading on the basis of submissions and discussions.

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Module Game Engineering

    Game Engineering

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates of this module analyze the theoretical foundations of game engineering and derive viable architecture and design decisions for game systems and production pipelines in novel contexts, taking into account legal, ethical and organizational frameworks.

    • Graduates of this module design and develop interactive 2D and 3D applications through the targeted integration of program code, assets and toolchains in complex environments, geared towards performance, security and quality requirements.

    • Graduates of this module manage and optimize development and publishing processes for games in interdisciplinary teams, based on measurable quality criteria as well as risk management and compliance requirements.

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Game Engineering | ILV

    Game Engineering | ILV

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Content

    • Project management (idea, concept, target group, publication) 
    • Conception and planning of a 3D video game (game design document) 
    • Game design (characters, story, worlds, fun) 
    • Basic concepts of a game engine (algorithms, camera, transformation tools, levels, lighting) 
    • Game loop (frame structure) 
    • Integration and structure of 3D models (vertices, polygons) 
    • Working in 3D space with models, lighting and physics 
    • Kinematic and simulated-physical movements in 3D space 
    • Graphical programming (materials, textures, shaders, lighting models) 
    • Render pipeline 
    • Implementation of interactive elements using scripting 
    • Simple behavioral design using modern AI-supported techniques 
    • Recognition and processing of user input with various devices devices 
    • Integration of audio (SFX, music) 
    • UI (main menu, HUD) 
    • Implementation and publication of the planned 3D game within a group using the technologies learned 

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will be able to analyze the theoretical foundations of game engineering and derive viable architecture and design decisions for game systems and production pipelines in novel contexts, taking into account legal, ethical and organizational frameworks.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to design and develop interactive 2D and 3D applications through the targeted integration of program code, assets and toolchains in complex environments, aligned with performance, security and quality requirements.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to manage and optimize development and publishing processes for games in interdisciplinary teams, based on measurable quality criteria as well as risk management and compliance requirements.

    • After completing the course, students will be able to evaluate and select process models, game engines and tools for specific game ideas and, based on this, design a validated implementation plan with measurable quality criteria and risk assumptions, taking into account legal, ethical and organizational framework conditions.

    Teaching method

    Case studies, practical exercises, lecture

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Individual and group work, group work on a software project (group work)

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Module Advanced Embedded and IoT Security

    Advanced Embedded and IoT Security

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • After completing the module, students will be able to recognize attacks on real IoT systems and implement the appropriate countermeasures.

    • Graduates analyse the security challenges and dependencies of modern IoT and OT systems and evaluate systemic risks and attack surfaces and prioritize risk-adequate measures for operation and maintenance, taking into account the life cycle, interoperability and real-time requirements as well as regulatory and organization-specific requirements.

    • Graduates design segmented security architectures for networked IoT and OT environments and validate their effectiveness based on defined criteria and reference frameworks, taking into account availability, latency and safety requirements as well as compliance and policy specifications.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Advanced Embedded and IoT Security | ILV

    Advanced Embedded and IoT Security | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    The course provides advanced and practical knowledge for secure designs, attack detection and countermeasures in embedded and IoT environments over the entire life cycle. In the first part, students deal with the implementation of trust anchors, hardware security (secure elements, PUFs, TPM, memory/MPU hardening, RTOS security) and defensive engineering (secure boot/measured boot, key management under constraints, remote/measured attestation, hardening, zero trust/segmentation (zones/conduits), edge anomaly detection, update/patch strategies for long lifecycles, safety/security trade-offs). The second part includes red/blue exercises (build-break-fix, design review, audit preparation). Particular attention is paid to the practical implementation and peer review of the designs.

    Learning results

    • Students are able to recognize advanced attack vectors on embedded systems (e.g. fault injection, side-channel) based on real measurement data and laboratory setups and derive prioritized countermeasures under resource and lifecycle constraints.

    • Students will be able to derive secure boot and update concepts for a resource-constrained IoT device including key management, anti-rollback and remote/measured attestation and justify the design decisions based on defined security and maintainability metrics.

    • Students are able to carry out firmware-based reverse engineering and static/dynamic analyses, identify exploitable vulnerabilities (e.g. hardcoded secrets, insecure memory access) and document reproducible evidence in an audit report with a remediation plan.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Immanent performance assessment: group work, final examination

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Digital Forensics & Incident Response

    Digital Forensics & Incident Response

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students analyze the requirements for technical expert opinions and derive verifiable criteria and structural specifications from the expert opinion assignment, taking into account legal, normative and organization-specific framework conditions.

    • After completing the module, students will be able to use common tools for forensic analysis.

    • Students write technical expert reports that are appropriate for the target audience and justify methodological decisions on the basis of defined evidence, based on the assignment, the purpose of the evidence and quality standards.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Digital Forensics & Incident Response | ILV

    Digital Forensics & Incident Response | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    • Methods of digital forensics
      • file systems
      • Network forensics
      • Operating systems
      • Analysis of application data
      • Timeline analysis
      • Keyword Search
    • Norms and Standards / Related Documents
      • RFC 3227 "Guidelines for Evidence Collection and Archiving"
      • NIST SP 800-86 "Guide to Integrating Forensic Techniques into Incident Response"
    • Legal framework conditions
      • Legal foundations
      • Types and roles of expert witnesses
      • Form and content of an expert opinion

    Creation & analysis of hard disk images, file systems (esp. NTFS), memory forensics, network forensics, analysis of application data, smartphones, anti-forensics, legal requirements, best practices, ISO 3227 & NIST 800-86

    Acquisition and analysis of hard disk images, network analysis, smartphones and application data, cryptography & antiforensics

    Learning results

    • Students are able to analyze the requirements of a technical expert opinion and write technical expert opinions.

    • Students are able to use common tools for forensic analysis.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Group work, final exam

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Future Trends in IT-Security

    Future Trends in IT-Security

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students are able to classify current and emerging technologies in an IT security context and realistically assess their security implications.

    • Students are able to analyse existing and foreseeable threat scenarios of modern software systems, for example in connection with operating systems, virtualization and container technologies.

    • Students are able to critically assess security-relevant developments beyond short-term hypes and derive well-founded assessments of future attack and defense strategies.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Emerging Technologies and Future Threats | ILV

    Emerging Technologies and Future Threats | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    The course covers selected emerging technologies and their security relevance with a focus on realistic threat models and long-term developments. The selection of topics is based on current papers at top conferences such as ACM CCS, Usenix Security, NDSS and IEEE S&P.

    Current planning includes a thematic block on blockchains and DLT with a special focus on which concepts have established themselves beyond the initial hype and which security-related problems still exist. Another possible focus is on software protection, in particular techniques for protecting software from analysis, manipulation and reverse engineering. In addition, security aspects of modern operating systems, including Linux and Windows security, as well as container and virtualization technologies and their impact on attack surfaces and isolation mechanisms will be covered.

    Learning results

    • Students are able to classify current and emerging technologies in the context of IT security and realistically assess their security implications.

    • Students are able to analyse existing and foreseeable threat scenarios of modern software systems, for example in connection with operating systems, virtualization and container technologies.

    • Students are able to critically assess security-relevant developments beyond short-term hypes and derive well-founded assessments of future attack and defense strategies.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical exercises

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Englisch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Penetration Testing

    Penetration Testing

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Students analyze external programs and systems using reverse engineering and evaluate the exploitability of identified vulnerabilities in remote systems and local program code for at least two operating systems, based on defined criteria as well as legal and ethical framework conditions.

    • Students analyze typical attacker approaches and entry points and anticipate new attack scenarios, taking into account current threat models and organization-specific framework conditions.

    • Students use standard tools such as disassemblers and decompilers safely and script extensions to automate analyses in line with requirements, taking into account organization-specific policies and compliance requirements.

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Penetration Testing | ILV

    Penetration Testing | ILV

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Content

    Reverse engineering on two operating systems (e.g. Linux, Windows) of binary applications, possibly also a mobile app (e.g. Android).

    Debugger, disassembler, decompiler (e.g. Ghidra, Hexrays, IDA Pro, ...), rudimentary understanding of machine code.

    Memory corruption (stack overflows, heap overflow, return-to-libc, return oriented programming), format string vulnerabilities, shellcode, race conditions, reverse engineering, malware analysis, binary analysis, rewriting, and patching.

    Security measures in programming languages and operating systems and how they can be circumvented.

    PREREQUISITE: Operating Systems Security covers the basic security concepts and infrastructure of the most common operating systems.

    Other prerequisites: OWASP Top 10 and similar web-based attacks are already known (Secure Software Engineering). Concepts such as buffer overflow are roughly known.

    Learning results

    • After this course, students will understand computer security from the perspective of a black box attacker. Students will have acquired the analytical methodology to analyze third-party programs and systematically examine them for vulnerabilities, even if the source code is not available.

    • In the laboratory exercises, students were able to try out the attacks demonstrated in the lecture and write exploits for them.

    • This gave the student a deeper understanding of how attackers work. This trains their critical eye for computer security in operation and design. It also enables them to work later in the field of offensive security testing or research (penetration testing).

    Teaching method

    Lecture, distance learning, learning platform with 5-10 practical exercises

    Examination

    Final exam

    Teaching language

    Englisch

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Module Mobile App Development

    Mobile App Development

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates of this module analyze and design professional development strategies for mobile applications in complex contexts, taking into account platform guidelines, performance, security and data protection.

    • Graduates of this module develop and manage automated test strategies for mobile applications, including pipeline integration, based on traceable quality criteria and operational requirements.

    • Graduates of this module evaluate architecture options for mobile systems and make strategic decisions for implementation in distributed product environments, taking into account scalability, maintainability and compliance.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Mobile App Development | ILV

    Mobile App Development | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    This module will cover the fundamentals of Mobile App Development. At the beginning, there will be a short overview of the current mobile development landscape. After that, we'll dive right into native iOS development with Swift and UIKit. 

    There will not be a final exam, but programing assignments (single person assignments). They will be split by VO/UE into fixed exercises and freeform exercises.

    The fixed exercises are pretty firm in their scope and tasks. They’re almost like an interactive tutorial, but without the solutions. The goal is for you to gain competence in the most important aspects of iOS development that everyone should know about.

    The freeform exercises are much more flexible. You can choose which topics you’d like to work on and pick from a variety of frameworks to learn and features to implement. To learn more about the exercises, see the class website below. 

    Overview of the topics:

    • Mobile Development Overview
    • Web-App vs Cross-Plattform vs Native mobile
    • Swift Fundamentals
    • Native iOS development Fundamentals
    • UIKit & Auto Layout Fundamentals
    • Networking
    • Persistence (Mobile Databases)

    You can also find more information about the topics on the class website.

    avf.github.io/mobile-app-dev

    If you'd like to participate, we strongly recommend that you bring a Mac with macOS 10.15.4 or higher. Alternatively, access to a Cloud-VM can be provided, but the development experience will be much better on a native machine. Owning an iOS device (iPhone/iPad) can be advantageous, but isn't required.

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will analyze and design development strategies for mobile applications in complex contexts, taking into account platform guidelines, performance, security and data protection.

    • After completing the course, students will develop and control automated test strategies for mobile applications including pipeline integration based on comprehensible quality criteria and operational requirements.

    • After completing the course, students will evaluate architecture options for mobile systems and make strategic implementation decisions in distributed product environments, taking into account scalability, maintainability and compliance.

    • After completing the course, students will optimize and control the runtime and memory performance as well as the reactive data flow processing of iOS apps in complex scenarios using advanced platform tools and in compliance with quality, security and data protection requirements.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, live programming, case studies, programming tasks

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Final exam, group work

    Teaching language

    Englisch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module User Centered Design

    User Centered Design

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates of this module are able to design different types of systems in different postures in a user-oriented way and also to optimize given designs.

    • Graduates of this module are able to transfer generally applicable design principles to software systems.

    • Graduates of this module are able to transfer users' mental models to software and implement them using the most important industry style guides

    • Graduates of this module can apply prototyping methods for design.

    • Graduates of this module can implement the entire design process from the initial vision to the color concept and usability optimization.

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    User Centered Design | ILV

    User Centered Design | ILV

    3 SWS   5 ECTS

    Content

    This course includes in particular:

    • Conceptual Models
    • Affordances & Signifiers
    • Mapping
    • Conventions & Consistency
    • Constraints
    • Feedback
    • Design Thinking
    • Canomodel on product features
    • Market Analysis
    • User Research
    • Storyboards
    • Wireframes
    • Formative Usability Testing
    • Information Architecture
    • Interaction Design
    • Information Design
    • Visual Design
    • Usability Testing

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will analyze and create user-centered design strategies for digital products in complex, dynamic contexts, taking into account legal and ethical framework conditions.

    • After completing the course, students select and control suitable methods along the design process phases from user research to usability testing, geared towards well-founded design decisions.

    • After completing the course, students plan and control end-to-end design projects including milestone, risk and quality management.

    • After completing this course, students will be able to apply the methods and tools of user-centered design learned in the lecture, based on a rough product vision and objectives of a simulated customer.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, case studies, practical exercises

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Group work - grading the group work protocols, final examination

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    3 SWS
    5 ECTS
    Module Web Engineering

    Web Engineering

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • Graduates of this module are able to explain and evaluate the theoretical foundations of modern mobile and web applications, scaling web architectures, the resulting components, existing web frameworks and security aspects in web applications.

    • Graduates of this module are able to create client-side web applications and deploy and maintain them using CI/CD tools.

    • Graduates of this module are able to create full-stack web applications (client and server-side), select and implement the architecture based on the requirements.

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Web Engineering | ILV

    Web Engineering | ILV

    5 SWS   10 ECTS

    Content

    The course covers the following content in particular:

    • Advanced Frontend Web Development. Creation of reliable, maintainable and robust frontend applications using modern web tools and technologies
    • Web Development Buildchain and Build First Development (Package Management, Dependency Management, Module Bundling, Linting and Formatting, Minification and Obfuscation, Preprocessing and Postprocessing)
    • Testing strategies in web applications using continuous integration and continuous deployment/delivery
    • System architectures on the web (layer architectures, single-page applications and multi-page applications, serverless computing and microservices)
    • Structure and functionality of modern front-end frameworks
    • Rendering technologies such as server-side rendering, client-side rendering, rehydration, pre-rendering and their application scenarios
    • Responsive design and web accessibility
    • Backend development. Web servers, authentication strategies, CORS, API technologies (eg.: REST, GraphQL and gRPC), frameworks
    • Current trends in web development (eg: progressive web applications, web assembly, microfrontends, web components ...)

    Learning results

    • Graduates of this module will be able to explain and evaluate the theoretical foundations of modern mobile and web applications, scaling web architectures, the resulting components, existing web frameworks and security aspects in web applications

    • Graduates of this module are able to create client-side web applications and deploy and maintain them using CI/CD tools.

    • Graduates of this module are able to create full-stack web applications (client and server-side), select and implement the architecture based on the requirements.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, live coding, project work, practical exercises (individual tasks)

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Final exam, group work, practical exercises

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    5 SWS
    10 ECTS

    Module Master Thesis

    Master Thesis

    0 SWS   20 ECTS

    Learning results

    • After completing this module, students will be able to identify a relevant problem and analyze it in a scientifically sound manner

    • After completing this module, students will be able to correctly apply scientific methods linked to their specialist knowledge

    • After completing this module, students are able to comprehensively develop a topic and write a Master's thesis on it

    20 ECTS
    Master Thesis | MT

    Master Thesis | MT

    0 SWS   20 ECTS

    Content

    Independent work on a technically relevant topic based on the technical topics of the compulsory elective modules in the third semester at a scientific level under the guidance of a supervisor

    Completion of the Master's thesis

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will be able to identify a relevant problem and analyze it in a scientifically sound manner

    • After completing the course, students will be able to correctly apply scientific methods in conjunction with their specialist knowledge

    • After completing the course, students are able to comprehensively develop a topic and write a Master's thesis on it

    Teaching method

    Independent work supported by coaching

    Examination

    Final exam: Approval of the master thesis

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    20 ECTS
    Module Innovation Management

    Innovation Management

    6 SWS   10 ECTS

    Learning results

    • After completing this module, students are able to present and discuss the interim results of their Master's thesis.

    • After completing this module, graduates are able to recognize connections between specialist areas and present their own conclusions.

    • After completing this module, students will be able to analyze and evaluate innovation ideas.

    • After completing this module, students will be able to explain key aspects of the respective areas of law and take them into account in practice.

    6 SWS
    10 ECTS
    Entrepreneurship | ILV

    Entrepreneurship | ILV

    2 SWS   2 ECTS

    Content

    The process of innovation is a combination of creativity on the one hand and precise analysis and evaluation on the other. Methods and tools for the development of new ideas, their positioning and, above all, the recognition of critical success factors are essential. The team aspect is of great importance here. The lecture also refers to psychological criteria.
    Entrepreneurial thinking is a constant sequence of evaluation, decision-making and corrections. The course primarily deals with techniques that support decision-making, enable evaluation and support key performance indicator-based management.
    The course also refers to start-ups, in particular the phases of founding a new company, financing options, critical aspects of growth and managing business success.

    This course includes in particular

    • Methods for the development and evaluation of innovation
    • Blue Ocean Method
    • The vision-mission-value pyramid
    • Rainmaking method
    • Basics of the Hammings Principle
    • Application forms of agile project management incl. Scrum
    • Leading and lagging indicators for the application of decision-making techniques
    • Team aspects in the innovation cycle
    • Evaluation options for innovations, e.g. Gartner Hypecycle, Magic quadrant
    • Dynamics of growth, cash flow and scalability
    • Starting a start-up, business mechanics
    • Financing options, angels vs. ventures and exit strategies

    Learning results

    • Students analyze innovation ideas on the basis of defined criteria and evaluate their benefits, risks and feasibility in relation to objectives and resources, taking into account organization-specific framework conditions.

    • Students apply selected creativity techniques methodically and evaluate the results based on defined criteria, aligned with objectives and resource restrictions.

    • Students develop blue ocean strategies and justify the chosen value innovation paths on the basis of defined criteria, taking into account objectives, resources and variable contextual conditions.

    • Students develop business model canvas models and apply them to specific business ideas based on defined evaluation criteria, market assumptions and resource restrictions.

    Teaching method

    Case studies, lecture

    Examination

    Final exam: Elaboration of case studies, final examination

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    2 SWS
    2 ECTS
    Legal IT Aspects | ILV

    Legal IT Aspects | ILV

    2 SWS   2 ECTS

    Content

    The course teaches the basic structures of the Austrian and European legal system as well as their constitutional embedding, particularly with regard to fundamental rights.

    One focus is on data protection law with special consideration of the General Data Protection Regulation and national data protection law. Cybersecurity regulation, in particular the NIS-2 Directive, also plays a central role.

    In addition, current developments in EU law such as the AI Act, the Data Governance Act and the Digital Services Act are covered. The basics of intellectual property law, general contract law and IT criminal law are also covered.

    Learning results

    • Students identify relevant legal issues in the IT security context and evaluate options for action with reference to the relevant legal framework and compliance requirements.

    • Students identify relevant legal sources in the IT security context and classify them correctly in terms of the hierarchy of standards and facts, based on applicable compliance requirements and organization-specific framework conditions.

    • Students analyze core aspects of relevant areas of law and apply them in practical decision-making and design situations, based on applicable compliance requirements and organization-specific guidelines.

    Teaching method

    Lecture, practical application, discussion

    Examination

    Final exam: Elaboration of case studies, final examination

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    2 SWS
    2 ECTS
    Master Examination | AP

    Master Examination | AP

    0 SWS   2 ECTS

    Content

    • Presentation and discussion of the final thesis
    • Specialist discussion

    Learning results

    • After passing the Master's examination, graduates are able to concisely present and defend their academic work

    • After passing the Master's examination, graduates are able to conduct a professional scientific discussion

    • After passing the Master's examination, graduates are able to recognize connections between subject areas and present their own conclusions

    Teaching method

    Independent development

    Examination

    Final exam: Commissioned examination (Master's examination)

    Teaching language

    Deutsch

    2 ECTS
    Master Thesis Seminar | SE

    Master Thesis Seminar | SE

    2 SWS   4 ECTS

    Content

    • Consolidation of the basic principles of scientific work
    • Reading, understanding and interpreting relevant scientific texts
    • literature research
    • Formal methods of scientific work
    • Students present the current development of their Master's thesis at regular intervals and put it up for discussion in the plenum

    Learning results

    • After completing the course, students will be able to conduct systematic literature searches

    • After completing the course, students will be able to interpret relevant scientific literature, summarize and critically compare results

    • After completing the course, students are able to present and discuss interim results of the Master's thesis

    Teaching method

    Lecture, Case Studies

    Examination

    Continuous assessment: Presentations, homework

    Teaching language

    Deutsch-Englisch

    2 SWS
    4 ECTS

    Number of teaching weeks
    18 per semester

    Times
    5.30 p.m.-7.00 p.m. and 7.15 p.m.-8.45 p.m.

    After graduation

    As a graduate of this program, a wide range of occupational fields and career opportunities are open to you. Find out here where your path can take you.

    Graduates are active in both the core information technology and telecommunications industries as well as in sector spanning positions. Your task will be to design and implement comprehensive security solutions. You will specify, plan, integrate, test and operate voice and data networks, taking into account the necessary security standards. You will work in the following areas:

    • Companies with their own IT infrastructure

    • Banks and insurance companies

    • Companies in electronic commerce

    • Authorities and public institutions

    • Online service providers

    • Service providers (cable/radio network providers, telecom)

      • Entertainment industry and media companies

      • Software development companies and system integrators

      • Security services

      • Data centers

      • Consulting firms

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        Networking with graduates and organizations

        In teaching and research we work closely with renowned companies from commerce and industry, universities and research institutions. These partnerships provide you with opportunities to find a job, write your thesis, or participate in current research and development activities - also in our Research Center IT security. You can find many of our cooperations in the campus network. It is always worth taking a look and you might find a new job or an interesting event with one of our cooperation partners.

        Contact

        Head of Degree Program

        Administration office

        Marina Paukovits
        Melanie Paukovits
        Mag. Marion Bozsing
        Ayla Johanna Arazli, BA
        Anja Penava, BA

        Favoritenstraße 226, B.3.20
        1100 Vienna
        43 1 606 68 77-2130
        informatik@hcw.ac.at

        Map main campus Favoriten (Google Maps)

        Office hours during the semester:

        Mon, 8.00 a.m.-12.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m.-5.45 p.m.
        Tue, 1.30 p.m.-7.30 p.m.
        Wed, 9.00 a.m.-12.00 p.m. and 3.00 p.m.-5.45 p.m.
        Thu and Fr closed

         

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