Mobile Security: Reverse Engineer Android Apps From Scratch

This is an introductory course suitable for cyber security newcomers as well as cyber security professionals who would like to dive into the world of mobile security.

In recent years, Android has established itself as a leader in the mobile OS market. For this reason, it is a common target of abuse among cyber-criminals.

This course will provide students with the ability to set up an analysis environment, allowing them to analyse suspicious Android apps and determine whether or not they are malicious. The syllabus assumes that the student has little or no knowledge of Android security. It therefore provides the fundamentals not only on Android security, but on Android applications in general.

The course will take students through the process of developing a basic Android application, which will provide insight into the inner workings of an Android APK. Upon completion, students will have their own analysis environment along with the knowledge required to analyse suspicious APKs.

Course outline:

-Course Requirements

-Intro to Android

-Course/Lab Setup

-Developing a Basic Android App

-Analyzing Android Apps

-Case Study: Analyzing an actual ransomware and developing a decryption tool