The best aspects of this course included the intriguing material, consistent correlation between the lectures and the textbook, as well as the thoroughly presented material. One student felt that the 84 instructor’s responses on Piazza were curt and not very useful. Some students felt the project was excessively difficult for a class that had intermediate programming as its only required prerequisite. Suggestions included implementing a more organized means of evaluating the group projects and requiring less handwritten homework. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to find a team of peers with whom they are positive they wil work well with.

The best aspects of this class were the knowledgeable and engaging instructor, the inclusion of current events in the security world, and the emphasis on systems used in the real world. Many students made note of Dr. Green’s firsthand experience with the systems he teaches and his ability to frame lectures around news of the day, making the class seem more relevant and immediately applicable. The worst aspects of the class were the classes cancelled due to weather or illness, the lack of much communication from the instructor, and the different experience levels in the class. Suggestions for improving the class included having more frequent smaller assignments, better feedback in regards to grades, and more organization around assignments and exams. Prospective students should have some familiarity with cryptology and programming, and will need to do additional research and reading to stay abreast of events in the security world. This class and instructor are highly recommended.

The best aspects of the course included the broad overview of computer networks and internet communication that the course provided, as well as the clearly presented content. Several students 91claimed that the course worked exclusively with theory, and that the inclusion of some hands-on implementing would have been helpful. Suggestions for improvement included making lectures more interactive and dynamic, and including some coding into the syl abus. Prospective students should keep in mind that this is a theory based course but that the material is useful and relevant.