Stanford University · Fall 2026
INTLPOL 268: Hack Lab
Hack Lab: Introduction to Cybersecurity
This course aims to give students a solid understanding of the basics of modern internet technologies and an introduction to the most common types of attacks used in cybercrime and cyberwarfare. Taught by a long-time cybersecurity practitioner, each session will begin with a lecture covering the basics of an area of technology and how that technology has been misused in the past. After a short break, students will then begin a hands-on lab section, with the guidance of the instructor, where they attack a known insecure system using techniques and tools seen in the field. By the end of the course, students are expected to have a basic understanding of some of the most common offensive techniques in use today as well as the impact of AI on cybersecurity. No computer science background is required. All students must bring a Windows, Mac OS X or Linux laptop to class.
First class
Friday, September 25, 2026
Fridays, 1:30–3:20 PM
MIP Policy Studio (Encina Hall basement)
Course format
Each Friday combines a technical lecture with a guided, hands-on security lab.
Course console
Lab instructions and assigned lab systems are delivered through the authenticated course console.
What you will learn
Hack Lab builds practical intuition for how networked systems fail and how security professionals investigate those failures. The course moves from networking and web security into attacks on AI systems, memory-corruption exploits, AI-assisted reverse engineering, and cryptography.
No computer science background is required. Students need a Windows, macOS, or Linux laptop and must work only within the explicitly authorized systems and scope provided for each lab.
Instructional team
Alex Stamos
Lecturer in International Policy and Computer Science
Office hours: To be announced for Fall 2026
Course assistants
To be announced.