Students

Graduate studies in cybersecurity and privacy

The University of Waterloo, in collaboration with the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI), offers graduate students unique opportunities to learn and engage in world-leading research in cybersecurity and privacy with over 60 diverse faculty members, in 16 departments across various schools and faculties. By combining expertise from these various fields the institute is driving interdisciplinary collaboration and producing world-class technologies as well as the next generation of cybersecurity leaders through industry-academic partnerships.
 

CPI researchers work in 9 expertise areas:

  • Cryptography

  • Data Science - Security and Privacy

  • Human & Societal Aspects of Security and Privacy

  • Legal and Policy Aspects of Security and Privacy

  • Network Security

  • Operational Security Aspects

  • Privacy-Enhancing Technologies

  • Quantum-Safe Communication

  • Software, Hardware, and Systems Security 

 

Industries in need of cybersecurity professionals

Finance The industry maintains valuable information such as client identities, bank account information, financial assets, and intellectual property.
Safety Emergency response teams, law enforcement, CCTV systems, interactive voice response systems, and emergency alert systems are all vulnerable to attack.
Health Systems hold sensitive patient information and encompass medical implant devices such as pacemakers that may be exploitable.
Government Cyber attacks on governments are increasing daily because a successful attack provides access to large amounts of private and sensitive information.
Infotech The industry transmits a large amount of sensitive information such as online retail transactions, email messages, web-browsing activity, social media platforms, and user’s private information.
Transport An industry vulnerable to cyber attacks to air and ground transportation systems. As well, the industry holds sensitive and valuable information such as birth dates, and passport numbers.
Utilities An ideal target for cyber attacks on industrial control systems to access data or to cause physical damage to infrastructures.

Undergraduate courses

The following is a list of undergraduate courses related to cybersecurity and privacy currently offered at the University of Waterloo. CPI continually updates this course list with any new related undergraduate courses.

Courses that are regularly offered at the University of Waterloo:

CO 485

The Mathematics of Public-Key Cryptography

CO 487

Applied Cryptography

CS 458

Computer Security and Privacy (Course Page)

ECE 409

Cryptography and System Security (Course Page)

ECE 458

Computer Security

LS 213 & SOC 213

Surveillance & Society

LS 329 & SOC 329

Security and Governance

LS 413 & SOC 413

Surveillance and Society

LS 435 & SOC 435

Cybercrime and Digital Harm

GBDA 303

Data and Society

GBDA 414

Special Topics in Interaction Design: Design for Trust, Transparency, and Safety