Information Security (WS 2026/27)

Content

This module introduces you to the key topics of information security: cryptography, system security, and network security. Topics include encryption algorithms, digital signatures, secure communication protocols, threat scenarios for IT systems, isolation techniques, runtime security, side-channel attacks, network security, privacy, and more.

Material

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.

Date	Who	Lecture 9:35–12:00 (HS i13)	Recording	Practicals 13:35–15:00
02.10.2026	MN	L0 – Introduction	YouTube (2021)
09.10.2026	MN	L1 – Cryptography 1	YouTube (2021)	P1 Kickoff, Group Registration Deadline
16.10.2026	MN	L2 – Cryptography 2	YouTube (2021)	P1 Tutorial
23.10.2026	MN	L3 – Cryptography 3	YouTube (2021)	P1 Tutorial
30.10.2026	MN	L4 – Cryptography 4	YouTube (2021)	P1 Question Hour (Discord)
06.11.2026	SN	L5 – System Security 1	YouTube (2021)	P1 Deadline, P2 Kickoff
13.11.2026	DG	L6 – System Security 2	YouTube (2020)	P2 Tutorial
20.11.2026	SN	L7 – System Security 3	YouTube (2021)
27.11.2026	SSR	L8 – System Security 4	YouTube (2021)	P2 Question Hour (Discord)
04.12.2026	SSR	L9 – System Security 5		P2 Deadline, P3 Kickoff
11.12.2026	JH	LA – Network Security 1
18.12.2026	JH	LB – Network Security 2
08.01.2027	JH	LC – Network Security 3		P3 Question Hour (Discord)
15.01.2027	TBA	LD - TBA		P3 Deadline
22.01.2027	TBA	LE - TBA
		VO Exam

Previous versions of this course: WS 2025/2026, WS 2024/2025, WS 2023/2024, WS 2022/2023, WS 2021/2022 (YouTube playlist), WS 2020/2021 (YouTube playlist), WS 2019/2020

Practicals

This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.

Task	Kick-off (13:30)	Deadline (18:00, git tag)	Assignment Interviews	Material
P1 Cryptography	09.10.2026	06.11.2026	09.11.2026 — 12.11.2026	upstream repo
P2 System Security	06.11.2026	04.12.2026	07.12.2026 — 10.12.2026
P3 Network Security	04.12.2026	15.01.2027	18.01.2027 — 21.01.2027

Group registration deadline: 09.10.2026 (18:00)

Administrative Information

Lecture Exams (VO)

In order to get a grade for the VO, you take a written, 60-minute exam. This is a closed-book exam, i.e., you are not allowed to bring any material such as notes or books. You can earn a total of 48 points: 8 for each of 6 question pages. Each area (Cryptography, System Security, Network Security) is represented by 2 question pages.

Grade	5	4	3	2	1
Min. Points	< 24	≥ 24	≥ 30	≥ 36	≥ 42	of 48

You can find upcoming exam dates in TUGRAZonline.

Practicals (KU)

In the practicals, you implement small projects related to the topics discussed in the lectures. The practicals consist of 3 assignments P1, P2, P3 solved in teams of 2 students.

Teams and Team Registration

The KU is done in teams of 2 students. You can use the ISEC Discord, channel infosec-groupsearch to find team members. You then register your team on the infosec test system. Your team will be assigned a random teaching assistant for the assignment interviews.

Submission

You are given access to a git repository where you have to push your submission. The required content is discussed in the Kick-Off lectures. You must mark your final submission by tagging it in git. The tag label is based on the assignment: P1, P2, and P3. As an example, P1 is the tag label for the first assignment. Before the deadline, you can change your tag if need be. Your submissions will be tested automatically by our test system. Thus, you need to respect and meet file naming constraints of the individual assignments. Otherwise, the tests will all fail and you will receive 0 points for the assignment. After hand-in of each task, there will be an assignment interview with a teaching assistant. You will have to solve a pen-and-paper code review task similar to your submitted tasks and answer questions about the tasks you solved/how you solved them. Both team members must be able to solve code review tasks and answer questions related to all solved tasks.

Grading

You can earn a total of 48 points: 16 for each task. The grading scheme is shown in the table below. You will get a grade as soon as you hand in a solution to P1 by adding a git tag. Groups that do not hand in anything for P1 will not be given a grade and will be unregistered from the course. Note that handing in P1 (even an empty solution) is the only condition for “getting a grade”.

Grade	5	4	3	2	1
Min. Points	< 24	≥ 24	≥ 30	≥ 36	≥ 42	of 48

We treat the involvement of ChatGPT and similar tools the same way as the involvement of another natural person. That is, for involvement that qualifies as plagiarism or an impermissible level of assistance, the consequences will be the same in both cases to the strictest extent possible. The use of agents and similar tools is not permitted.

Important Links

• Test System
• ISEC Discord
• Setting up Git

Contact and Communication

For questions regarding the courses we have the following communication channels:

• Discord: ISEC server, channel infosec-announcements for official announcements.
• Discord: ISEC server, channel infosec-p1/p2/p3 for all questions regarding the exercises.
• Discord: ISEC server, channel infosec-vo for all questions regarding the lectures.
• Discord: ISEC server, channel infosec-groupsearch to find team members for the exercises.
• Do not directly message the tutors on Discord, use the relevant Discord channels as other students might be interested as well.
• infosec.isec@tugraz.at for administrative questions (specific to your situation). Please use Discord for questions that might be of interest for other students as well.

Lecture Dates

Date	Begin	End	Location	Event	Type	Comment
2026/10/02	07:30	10:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/10/09	07:30	10:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/10/16	07:30	10:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/10/23	07:30	10:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/10/30	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/11/06	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/11/13	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/11/20	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/11/27	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/12/04	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/12/11	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2026/12/18	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2027/01/08	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2027/01/15	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2027/01/22	08:30	11:00	ICK1120H	CLASS	VO	CLASS/
2027/01/29	07:00	09:00	ICK1120H		VO	/possible exam timeslot

Lecturers