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DD2460 Software Safety and Security 7.5 credits

Administer About course

The course covers several fundamental techniques for the analysis of programs, with a focus on safety and security. The techniques are based on types and logics for programs, and allow to discover certain types of illicit behaviour or deduce the absence of such behaviour. We consider several successful tools implementing such techniques.

Information per course offering

Course offerings are missing for current or upcoming semesters.

Course syllabus as PDF

Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.

Course syllabus DD2460 (Spring 2026–)
Headings with content from the Course syllabus DD2460 (Spring 2026–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )

Content and learning outcomes

Course contents

  • Part I. Introduction to safety and security.
  • Part II. Temporal logics, modeling, model checking, formal specification. Tool: NuSMV.
  • Part III. System modeling with Event-B. Tool: Rodin.
  • Part IV. Concurrency, network programming. Tool: Java Pathfinder.
  • Part V. Memory safety, fuzzing Tools: memory checker, fuzzer.

Intended learning outcomes

After passing the course, the student should be able to:

  • explain safety and security aspects for systems,
  • construct models of systems,
  • specify and analyse safety and security properties,
  • apply analytical tools on software systems,
  • evaluate and compare different approaches to verification and validation of software systems,

in order to

  • as citizen and expert be able to discuss software safety and security,
  • in professional life and/or research projects be able to formally express safety and security related properties,
  • be able to use and adapt various tools and technologies to verify such properties.

Literature and preparations

Specific prerequisites

knowledge and skills in Programming, 6 credits, equivalent to completed course DD1337/DD1310-DD1319/DD1321/DD1331/DD1333/DD100N/ID1018/ID1022.

Knowledge in Algorithms and Data Structures, 6 credits, equivalent to completed course DD1338/DD1320-DD1328/DD2325/ID1020/ID1021.

Knowledge in Computer Security, 6 credits, equivalent to completed course DD2391/DD2395.

Recommended prerequisites

Good knowledge and skills in programming, programming languages, and program semantics. Knowledge of first-order logic and finite automata.

Literature

You can find information about course literature either in the course memo for the course offering or in the course room in Canvas.

Examination and completion

Grading scale

A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Examination

  • LAB2 - Laboratory work, 5.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
  • ÖVN2 - Group presentation and report, 1.5 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
  • TEN2 - Examination, 1.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

Examiner

Profile picture Cyrille Valentin Artho

Ethical approach

  • All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
  • In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
  • In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

Further information

Course room in Canvas

Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.

Offered by

EECS/Theoretical Computer Science

Main field of study

Computer Science and Engineering

Education cycle

Second cycle

Supplementary information

In this course, the EECS code of honor applies, see:
http://www.kth.se/en/eecs/utbildning/hederskodex

Additional regulations

This course contains group projects and labs. Course registration after the official registration period is not possible, since we need to create the groups in the beginning of the course.