From the Oberlin catalog course description:
Introduce Students to fundamental concepts in computer and information
security. Topics that may be covered include: threats and vulnerabilities,
malicious software, defensive programming techniques, basic cryptography,
models of security, auditing, intrusion detection, basic database security,
digital rights management, and issues of laws and ethics related to information
security. This course is designed to present a broad survey of the field
rather than an in depth study of a particular portion.
Goals and course objectives
My goals and objectives for students taking this course are as follows:
- Be familiar with the terminology in use in computer security
- Understand the goals and terminology of computer and information security and be able to apply them in diverse areas
- Be familiar with modern threats and mitigation techniques
- Able to critically analyze security needs and requirements
- Understand the need for security and auditing
- Understand formal models of security including Bell-LaPadula, Biba, Chinese Wall, etc.
- Understand basic cryptographic techniques and be familiar with some modern implementations
- Understand common program vulnerabilities and secure programming techniques
The text for this course will be the following:
For a more theoretical treatment, there is also:
- Computer Security by Matt Bishop (more of a graduate level text)
- Introduction to Computer Security by Matt Bishop (the above re-worked as an undergraduate text)
There are also a large number of sites on security that are available. If
you stumble across anything particularly interesting, let me know so I can
add it here.
Security Link Sites
General Computer Security Paper Collections
Attendance
Regular class attendance and participation is expected. Please talk to me
if regular class attendance is going to be a problem.
Homework Assignments
There will be a number of assignments made in this class. I expect every
student to attempt each assignment and turn in the results. You are
encouraged to complete every assignment as this is one of the most
effective ways to learn the material.
If you know that for some reason you will not be able to submit the
assignment before the deadline, you should contact me in advance of the
deadline. Extensions are only granted in exceptional circumstances, but
need to be done in advance.
Late assignments will be penalized 10% per day. Extra credit will
not be accepted after the initial deadline.
Accommodations for students with disabilities
If you have a disability that might impact your performance in
this course, or requires special accommodation, please contact me as soon
as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Support is available through Student
Academic Services, specifically Jane Boomer. You will
need to contact them to get your disability documented before accommodations
can be made.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
I have very low tolerance for academic dishonesty, and will vigorously
pursue available remedies for any incidents. All work in this class is to
be performed according to the Oberlin
Honor Code. Specifically I expect that:
- Quizzes will be closed book, closed notes, and no communication
between students. This includes discussing the same to students
who are taking the quiz at another time.
- Discussion of assignments is expected and encouraged, however all
work and code on assignments should be your own without outside
assistance.
- Sources should be cited including the textbook and other web sites
when you use them in your work.
Illustrative examples:
- Confirming that we had an exam is OK, telling another
student in the class who has not taken it that it was easy/hard,
what topics, etc. is NOT OK.
- Discussing what needs to be done and how it can be done is
OK, having a student (other than a TA) go over your code is
NOT OK, discussing what might be wrong and how to tell is
OK (and encouraged).
- Using ideas or techniques from the textbook or online sources as a
starting point is OK with attribution, but is NOT OK
without attribution.
All assignments must include the following signed statement:
"I affirm that I have adhered to the Honor Code in this assignment."
Electronic submissions should include the honor statement in either the README or comments and must include your name.
Homeworks
Homeworks are listed in the schedule above on the
far right hand side. Unless otherwise specified, they are due at the start
of class and must be done individually. I prefer typed answers to
hand-written ones because if I can't read it, then I can't grade it.
Semester Paper or Project
You are responsible for a semester long research project. Work is divided into several stages.
- (Week 2) Initial project proposals: A collection of three possible research project ideas.
- (Week 3) Revised project proposal: A single project plan containing
- A clear thesis
- An outline of the steps to complete the project
- A rough timeline
- Any outside resources needed to complete the project
- Expected outcomes including deliverables, notions of success vs. failure, and a defined ending state
- (Week 6) Literature search: You results of surveying the available literature for past work and other relevant material. For pure research projects, this might be incomplete, but should have indications of where to draw additional material.
- (Week 8) Status report: Current state especially indicating any changes to the plan, steps left to perform, and current roadblocks.
- (Week 11) Initial Draft: A rough draft of final paper. Any incomplete parts should be marked as such (e.g., final testing). (10% of final grade)
- (Week 14) Class presentation: A well-prepared presentation of your results for the class and the department (5% of final grade)
- (Week 15) Final Draft: Submit a final copy of your research paper at the start of the final exam. (10% of final grade)
