Module 20010 (2013)
Syllabus page 2013/2014
06-20010
Secure Programming
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 covers the basics of software security. Classic design principles for the protection of information in computer systems are introduced. Some of the most important vulnerabilities in current software systems and the corresponding attacks are reviewed. It is then shown how to defend code against these attacks, both by means of careful programming technique and automated machine support.
Aims
The aims of this module are to:
- introduce the principles, risks and mechanisms that impact software security, with emphasis on programming and related technologies
Learning Outcomes
| On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to: | Assessed by: | |
| 1 | explain the fundamental principles and mechanisms of software security | Examination |
| 2 | identify the main security defects and threats in current software systems | Examination |
| 3 | describe and evaluate techniques of secure coding | Examination |
| 4 | evaluate applications in relation to their security | Examination, Continuous Assessment |
Restrictions, Prerequisites and Corequisites
Restrictions:
None
Prerequisites:
None
Co-requisites:
None
Teaching
Teaching Methods:
Lectures
Contact Hours:
Assessment
- Sessional: 1.5 hr examination (80%), continuous assessment (20%)
- Supplementary (where allowed): By examination only
Recommended Books
| Title | Author(s) | Publisher, Date |
| The Art of Software Security Assessment: Identifying and Preventing Software Vulnerabilities | Mark Dowd, John McDonald and Justin Schuh | Addison-Wesley, 2006 |
Detailed Syllabus
- Introduction
- Basic principles of software security
- Overview of vulnerabilities and attacks
- Buffer overflow and other memory corruptions
- In-band signalling and malicious input
- SQL command injection attacks
- Race conditions
- Manual code auditing for software security
- Static analysis tools for security
- Programming language mechanisms and security
- Some directions in current research
Last updated: 3 June 2011
Source file: /internal/modules/COMSCI/2013/xml/20010.xml
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus