SEC573: Automating Information Security with Python

The course launches with a fast-paced Python intro and the pyWars lab environment, backed by more than 100 hands-on labs. Beginners master the fundamentals, while advanced students dive into bonus challenges. You'll gain the skills to build Python tools for AI, cloud, pen testing, network defense, and beyond—no filler, just what gets results.

This section strengthens your core Python skills with hands-on labs on essential data structures like lists and dictionaries, managing isolated environments with venv, and mastering advanced debugging in VS Code. These skills are foundational across many fields, from software development to cybersecurity and data science.

In the role of a network defender, you’ll analyze logs and packet captures to identify indicators of compromise. You’ll develop scripts for continuous monitoring and master file handling, data analysis and working with network packets—fundamental skills for threat detection, incident response, and broader security operations.

In this forensics-themed section, you’ll develop the skills to manually extract and analyze digital artifacts in the absence of automated tools. You'll work with embedded data in disk images, SQL databases, and web content, and extract critical metadata—capabilities essential across incident response, threat hunting, and investigative roles.

In this offensive-themed section, you’ll build a custom remote access agent to bypass defenses when standard tools fail. Skills like process interaction, error handling, and TCP communication, while offensive in context, are essential across many cybersecurity roles.

The Capstone section challenges students to apply their skills in real-world scenarios—exploiting systems, analyzing packets, parsing logs, automating tasks, and interacting with websites. Live students compete as teams, while OnDemand students tackle challenges independently, with expert support available when needed.