CX: Cybersecurity and Blockchain

Taqeem · January 4, 2025, 4:43pm

Cybersecurity and Blockchain Concentration Program

Overview / نظرة عامة

This interdisciplinary program covers topics related to secure and trusted computing, including data and information assurance, identification of cyber assets and related security risks and threats, measurement of system resilience against cyber-attacks, and security policy compliance and governance. Students learn the fundamental pillars of computer security and data privacy and how they affect complex engineering systems (e.g. manufacturing plants). Topics include cryptology, access control models and mechanisms, intrusion detection systems, and integrity verification mechanisms.

Students also learn the fundamentals of Blockchain technology, including record and hash replication, and types of blockchains (public, private, and hybrid), as well the applications in cryptocurrency and various other scientific, engineering, and business use cases.

يغطي هذا التخصص موضوعات متعلقة بالحوسبة الآمنة والموثوقة، بما في ذلك ضمان البيانات والمعلومات، وتحديد الأصول السيبرانية والمخاطر والتهديدات الأمنية ذات الصلة، وقياس مرونة الأنظمة ضد الهجمات السيبرانية، والامتثال لسياسات الأمن وإدارتها.

يتعلم الطلاب الركائز الأساسية لأمن الحاسوب وخصوصية البيانات وكيفية تأثيرها على الأنظمة الهندسية المعقدة (مثل المصانع). تشمل الموضوعات علم التشفير، ونماذج وآليات التحكم في الوصول، وأنظمة كشف التسلل، وآليات التحقق من النزاهة. كما يتعلم الطلاب أساسيات تقنية البلوكشين، بما في ذلك تكرار السجلات والهاش، وأنواع البلوكشين (العامة، والخاصة، والهجينة)، وتطبيقاتها في العملات المشفرة وحالات الاستخدام المختلفة في العلوم والهندسة والأعمال.

Application for the Concentration Program

Eligibility Criteria

Requirements:

Minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for all BSc KFUPM students.
Students with applied major cannot enroll in concentrations.
Students who completed (79 – 115 hours).
Students who finished all junior-level courses of the specific majors are eligible to enroll in the concentration after completing the prerequisites.

Timeline:

Applications open at the end of the first semester of the Junior year ( around November ) till the middle of the following semester ( around February)
Applications are reviewed at the end of the second semester or early summer.

Hosting Department:

Information & Computer Science

For more information about concentration programs, visit the general information page.

To apply for the concentration program, please visit the official application page provided by the university.

Offered To:

Major	Pre/Co-requisites	Notes
Computer Engineering (COE)	COE 292 and MATH 208	-
Computer Science (ICS)	COE 292 and MATH 208	-
Physics (PHYS)	COE 292 and (MATH 208 or PHYS 210)	-

Courses in the Concentration

Course	Course Title	Brief Description	Pre-requisites	Instructors	Average GPA	Notes
COE 426	Data Privacy	The course covers data privacy, cryptography, secure computation, and privacy-preserving technologies.	Senior Standing	Dr. Mohammed Felemban, Dr. Muhammad Mahmoud, Dr. Ahmed Almulhem	-	-
ICS 440	Cryptography and Blockchain Applications	The course covers cryptography, digital signatures, and blockchain security.	[Math 208 or MATH 260 or ICS 254] and STAT 319	Dr. Sultan Ahmad Al-Muhammadi, Dr. Md. Mahfuzur Rahman
ICS 442	Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking	The course covers ethical hacking, exploitation, and penetration testing tools.	ICS 343 or COE 344 or COE 353	Dr. Emad Ramadan
SWE 445	Secure Software Development	The course covers secure design, threat modeling, defensive coding, and attack prevention techniques.	Senior Standing	Prof. Mahmood Khan Niazi

Semester	Course 1	Course 2
First Semester (Fall)	ICS 440	COE 426
Second Semester (Spring)	ICS 442	SWE 445

Special Benefits

Hands-on Experience:
Industry Relevance:
Additional Courses/ Short Courses/ Professional Certifications Taken or Obtained Through the Program:
Expos/ Conferences/ Competitions for individuals involved in the program:
Softwares and Applications Utilized:
Other Benefits:

Resources

For courses’ study materials click here

Instructors

Photo	Name	Courses	Office Number	Email	Telephone	Office Hours	Department	Specialization	Taqeem Post	Coordinator
Dr. Sultan Almuhammadi4128×3297 2 MB	Dr. Sultan Almuhammadi	ICS 440	Building 22 Room 316	muhamadi@kfupm.edu.sa	966-13-860 1625	-	Information & Computer Science	Quantum Cryptography and Algorithms	Taqeem Post	Program Coordinator
Dr. Mohammed Felemban500×499 53.4 KB	Dr. Mohammed Felemban	COE 426	Building 22 Room 214	mfelemban@kfupm.edu.sa	966-13-860 2940	-	Computer Engineering	Quantum computing, Cybersecurity	Taqeem Post
Dr. Ahmed S. Almulhem499×500 147 KB	Dr. Ahmed S. Almulhem	COE 426	Building 22 Room 407-1	ahmadsm@kfupm.edu.sa	966-13-860 7554	-	Computer Engineering	Computer Security and Digital Forensics	Taqeem Post
Dr. Muhammad Yahya Mahmoud272×272 19 KB	Dr. Muhammad Yahya Mahmoud	COE 426	Building 22 Room 410-1	mimam@kfupm.edu.sa	966-13-860 2178	-	Computer Engineering	Network Security, Network user behavior, Malware detection	Taqeem Post
Prof. Mahmood Khan Niazi2959×2173 1.08 MB	Prof. Mahmood Khan Niazi	SWE 445	Building 22 Room 319	mkniazi@kfupm.edu.sa	966-13-860 4493	-	Information & Computer Science	Software Security Engineering	Taqeem Post
Dr. Emad Ramadan4128×3305 1.53 MB	Dr. Emad Ramadan	ICS 442	Building 22 Room 312	eramadan@kfupm.edu.sa	966-13-860 1148	-	Information & Computer Science	Network Security	Taqeem Post
Dr. Md. Mahfuzur Rahman4144×3696 1.75 MB	Dr. Md. Mahfuzur Rahman	ICS 440	Building 22 Room 101	mdmahfuzur.rahman@kfupm.edu.sa	966-13-860 1251	-	Information & Computer Science	Blockchain and cybersecurity, cloud and edge computing, IoT and pervasive computing, machine learning	Taqeem Post