USENIX Courses

Elevation of Privilege - Drawing Developers into Threat Modeling

Explore a game-based approach to engage developers in threat modeling, enhancing software security through interactive and non-threatening techniques.

• YouTube
• 23 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

An Argument for Game Balance - Improving Student Engagement by Matching Difficulty Level

Explore how balancing difficulty in cybersecurity competitions can improve student engagement and retention, addressing the decline in novice participation and promoting career interest.

• YouTube
• 23 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

SecurityEmpire - Development and Evaluation of a Digital Game to Promote Cybersecurity

Explore SecurityEmpire, a multiplayer game teaching cybersecurity to high school students. Learn about its design, implementation, and effectiveness in promoting information assurance practices through engaging gameplay.

• YouTube
• 25 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Building a One-Time-Password Token Authentication Infrastructure

Explore a robust one-time-password token authentication system for multi-site use, featuring Kerberos support, fault tolerance, and minimal management overhead. Learn from LIGO's real-world implementation and experiences.

• YouTube
• 42 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Tick Tock - Building Browser Red Pills from Timing Side Channels

Exploring browser-based red pills to detect virtual environments, their impact on web malware scanners, and potential mitigations for enhanced cybersecurity.

• YouTube
• 20 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Zippier ZMap - Internet-Wide Scanning at 10 Gbps

Optimizations to ZMap network scanner achieving 10-fold increase in scan rate, enabling comprehensive TCP port scanning across IPv4 address space in 4.5 minutes. Discusses implications and potential applications.

• YouTube
• 20 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Making "Push On Green" a Reality - Issues & Actions Involved in Maintaining a Production Service

Explore Google's "Push On Green" system for automated, safe production updates with minimal engineer involvement and downtime. Learn to implement similar practices in your environment.

• YouTube
• 43 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

PowerShell Desired State Configuration - DSC

Learn about PowerShell Desired State Configuration, a standards-based platform enabling configuration management across Windows, Linux, and other devices, addressing challenges faced by traditional CM systems.

• YouTube
• 46 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Embracing Checklists as a Tool for Improving Human Reliability

Explore how checklists can significantly reduce human error in IT, drawing insights from aviation and surgery to improve reliability and efficiency in technical operations.

• YouTube
• 44 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Take Risks But Don't Be Stupid

Explore responsible risk-taking in DevOps through effective pre-production environments. Learn techniques for building powerful testbeds with minimal resources, balancing experimentation and efficiency.

• YouTube
• 43 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Green Lights Forever - Analyzing the Security of Traffic Infrastructure

Researchers expose security vulnerabilities in traffic signal systems, demonstrating potential for disruption and safety risks. Recommendations for improving embedded systems security are provided.

• YouTube
• 22 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Keep it Simple, Stupid - Why the Usual Password Policies Don't Work, and What to Do About It

Explores ineffective password policies and presents a solution balancing security and usability. Discusses password history, attack models, human factors, and practical experiences with improved strategies.

• YouTube
• 44 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Introducing PMR - A Tool Using procfs, systemd, and cgroups to Perform Minimum-Impact Daemon and Library Updates

Explore PMR, an open-source tool for efficient Linux system updates using procfs, systemd, and cgroups. Learn to minimize downtime and vulnerabilities during security patches.

• YouTube
• 34 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Finding a Good Home - Choosing the Right Data Store

Explore modern high-scale storage systems, comparing interfaces and features. Learn key factors for decision-making, evolutionary trends, and emerging technologies in data storage solutions.

• YouTube
• 44 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Is Your Team Instrument Rated? - Or Deploying 89,000 Times per Day

Explore how DevOps can learn from aviation's operational systems to improve deployment frequency, safety, and efficiency in software development and organizational transformation.

• YouTube
• 42 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk