Module 17417 (2004)
Syllabus page 2004/2005
06-17417
Computer Security
Level 4/M
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus
The Module Description is a strict subset of this Syllabus Page. (The University module description has not yet been checked against the School's.)
Relevant Links
Outline
The module will introduce a range of topics in computer security, including attacks and vulnerabilities, and defences and countermeasures. Both theory and practice are covered, through lectures and seminars.
Aims
The aims of this module are to:
- present the goals of data confidentiality, integrity and availability
- introduce the principal methods and techniques involved in designing and implementing secure systems
Learning Outcomes
| On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to: | Assessed by: | |
| 1 | demonstrate understanding of a range of problems of computer security, and the available solutions and tradeoffs | Continuous assessment, Examination |
| 2 | describe and apply secure methods for the transmission and storage of data | Continuous assessment, Examination |
| 3 | describe and evaluate security applications and techniques described in the literature | Continuous assessment |
Restrictions, Prerequisites and Corequisites
Restrictions:
None
Prerequisites:
06-08752 Introduction to Software & Hardware Engineering A,
02316, 06-15258 (Operating Systems) (or equivalent)
The module requires a basic knowledge of computer architecture and
algorithms, logic and operating systems.
Co-requisites:
None
Teaching
Teaching Methods:
20 hrs of lectures and seminars.
Contact Hours:
Assessment
- Supplementary (where allowed): As the sessional assessment
- The continuous assessment is based on student-led seminars and prepared handouts.
Recommended Books
| Title | Author(s) | Publisher, Date |
| Applied Cryptography, Second Edition | Bruce Schnier | Wiley, 1996 |
| Web Security, Privacy and Commerce; Second edition | S. Garfinkel and G. Spafford | O'Reilly, 2002 |
| Cryptography and Network Security, Principles and Practice (3rd Edition) | William Stallings | Prentice Hall, 2003 |
| Secure Communicating Systems: Design, Analysis and Implementation | Michael Huth | Cambridge University Press, 2001 |
Detailed Syllabus
- Threats, risk, vulnerabilities and impact
- Fundamentals of cryptography
- Symmetric-key encryption
- Public-key encryption
- Secure hash functions
- Cryptography in practice
- Key certificates
- Secure protocols
- Attacks and defences
- Viruses, spyware and Trojan horses
- Phishing
- Vulnerabilities of wireless networking
- Intrusion detection
- Denial-of-service attacks
- Applications of secure mechanisms
- Trusted computing platforms
- Digital cash
- Steganography and digital watermarking
- Language design
Last updated: 16 Mar 2004
Source file: /internal/modules/COMSCI/2004/xml/17417.xml
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus