CS 3710

Really enjoyable intro class to cybersecurity. Professor Orebaugh is very understanding and she is passionate about the topic of cybersecurity. There are 7 labs in total and 3 quizzes which are open note. The final is also open note. I think I learned a lot about cybersecurity from this class and would recommend as a CS elective

#tCFS24

Marvelous course. One of the best I've taken. As everyone knows, Orebaugh is a joy to be around and you can tell she's really passionate about learning, teaching, and cybersecurity in equal parts. She makes learning so fun--this was the first CS course that I've genuinely had fun with, and I can see how she would inspire students to go into the cybersecurity field. Assignments are straightforward: complete the seven assigned homeworks (called "labs"), 2 programming assignments, open-note/web content quizzes, and a final. All of the above should be easy as long as you watch/attend lecture and absorb the material she has on her slides. In my opinion, the quizzes feel a bit rushed; although I took notes on every lecture, I found myself struggling to double check my answers at times. Still, they're not difficult. The final was a CTF-style challenge that was VERY fun! It felt really rewarding to complete in full and almost everyone I knew got full points on it. This is a hard class to mess up -- put in the (minimal) effort and you'll come away from the class with an A and a newfound interest in cyber :D #tCFS24

Professor Orebaugh is hands down one of the most accessible and approachable professors I have ever had. She's an engaging lecturer with super well-structured slides that are not only good in the moment but also very helpful to reread for homeworks and quizzes. Furthermore, she goes above and beyond for her students by planning additional activities outside of class (coffee chats, etc.) to reach students where they are. I'd encourage you to take advantages of these opportunities and, if you can't, even to plan some time to stop by her office for a few minutes to talk. Whether it's about the class, a cybersecurity career, or life in general, she can give great advice.

The class itself is fairly light and very doable, even when taken alongside tougher classes like CSO2 or DMT2. The class had a series of labs on a roughly weekly pace, quizzes (which essentially function as midterms, and are open-book), two programming assignments, and a final. You should start labs early when you can since the Linux environment can be a little finicky, but they're overall not too bad. Study for the quizzes ahead of time too so you know where to find information when you need it. The programming assignments can also take a bit to get working---the semester I took it, the second programming assignment was to implement RSA, which just takes time to conceptually understand since there's a lot of math involved. Again, though, the course slides are quite helpful, and office hours is also a good source of help. Lastly, make sure to mark out plenty of time for the final; it's a very fun capture-the-flag activity (one of the most enjoyable finals I've ever taken), but it'll just take time to understand the clues and work through the challenges.

One gripe I have is that the class's reputation tends to undersell it. It's way more than a simple "easy A" class; it's an excellently taught, practical course which teaches immediately applicable skills and offers a wonderful introduction to the cybersecurity field. You should approach the class with curiosity rather than the mindset that you're simply there for the GPA boost---you'll get more out of it that way!

Super fun and interesting class. If you are looking for an easy and interesting CS elective, you should definitely take this! The homework assignments are very easy and straightforward, and the quizzes are pretty simple. Professor Orebaugh also provides multiple ways of viewing lectures (in-person, on Zoom, or recorded), which is really nice and makes the class very accessible. Professor Orebaugh seems extremely knowledgable, and keeps the lectures interesting and engaging. This was definitely one of my favorite CS classes I have taken here, and I couldn't recommend it more! #tCFS24

This was a very lightweight, enjoyable CS elective. I could not recommend it enough! Even though I didn't have to devote much time to it, I learned so much. The labs were interesting and well-guided so you could really understand what you were doing, and the lectures were concise and had a lot of connections to the real-world to keep us engaged. #tCFS24

Angela is an amazing professor. She's very kind, friendly, and always open to answer questions. She is a great lecturer and her lectures are very engaging. The class itself is very laid back. If you're planning on taking other difficult classes like CSO2 or DSA2, I would recommend taking this class, since it is very easy to get an A. Despite the ease of the class, I did end up learning a lot and I'm a lot more interested in the topic of Cybersecurity after this class. Even if you're not thinking of getting into the Cyber Focal Path, I completely recommend the class.

This prof is super chill and respectful of everyone and their perspectives. One thing that stood out to me was how careful the professor was with her word choices and how considerate she was; for example, one time there were colors on the screen and she was like "and for those that are colorblind, these are the colors" and wrote all the colors out. I think little things she does like this really show her kind character. Additionally, she provides a lot of opportunities to talk about and learn more about cyber in the professional world, which is what many students at this level want to talk and learn about as they move closer to graduating. Overall, this prof has great charisma, character, and is very understanding! The course itself was pretty chill too with quizzes being open internet and labs walking you through every step.