The main activity of the course is a project where students independently attack a corporate computer network with the aim of exfiltrating specific information. The network is rigged by the course responsibles in a virtual environment. To carry out the attack, the students are free to use their imagination and tools available on Internet. Tools for network and vulnerability scanning, platforms for exploit development, command and control, passwork creacking, etc. are presented during the course, but students are free to employ methods and tools of their own choice.
EP282U Ethical Hacking 7.5 credits
This course will be discontinued.
Decision to discontinue this course:
The course will be discontinued at the end of spring 2028 as decided by the Faculty Board: HS-2026-0786.
Decision date: 2026-05-19.
Contact the examiner to be examined after the course has been given for the last time.
Information per course offering
Choose semester and course offering to see current information and more about the course, such as course syllabus, study period, and application information.
Course syllabus as PDF
Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.
Course syllabus EP282U (Spring 2026–)Headings with content from the Course syllabus EP282U (Spring 2026–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )
Content and learning outcomes
Course contents
Intended learning outcomes
After passing the course, the student should, at an introductory level, be able to
- establish resources to support offensive security operations
- perform reconnaissance and discovery to plan operations
- access credentials, such as account names, passwords and access tokens
- achieve initial access to networks and systems
- execute malicious code on remote devices
- establish command and control capabilities to communicate with compromised systems
- elevate privileges on systems to gain higher-level permissions
- persist on networks by maintaining access across interruptions
- move laterally, pivoting through the computing environment
- avoid detection by network defenders
- collect and exfiltrate data from computing environments
- assess the security of computer systems, applications, and services
- carry out legal and ethical security testing.
This will provide students with a practical understanding of the capabilities and possibilities of an attacker, in order to evaluate the cybersecurity of computer networks.
Literature and preparations
Specific prerequisites
No information inserted
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
- PROA - Project, 7.0 credits, grading scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
- INL2 - Assignment, 0.5 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
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
Main field of study
Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering
Education cycle
Second cycle
Transitional regulations
The earlier written assignment INL1 has been replaced by INL2.
The course will be discontinued at the end of spring 2028 as decided by the Faculty Board: HS-2026-0786.
Decision date: 2026-05-19.
Contact the examiner to be examined after the course has been given for the last time.