Introduction to Computer Security Spring 2015
This course teaches the security mindset and introduces the principles and practices of computer security as applied to software, host systems, and networks. It covers the foundations of building, using, and managing secure systems. Topics include standard cryptographic functions and protocols, threats and defenses for real-world systems, incident response, and computer forensics. See the schedule for details.
| Professor | Michael Bailey Office hours: Tue 11:00–12:00 (458 CSL) or by appointment |
| Prerequisites | Credit in CS 241 or ECE 391 |
| Lectures | Mon./Wed. 14:00–15:15, 1320 Digital Computer Lab |
| TAs |
TA office hours are 5-7 PM, M-F, ECEB 5034. Thasphon Chuenchujit, TA Soudeh Ghorbani Khaledi, TA Leslie Hwang, TA Conor Gardner, Grader Steve Halm, Grader Seoung Kim, Grader Siddharth Murali, Grader David Lauschke, Grader Edward Wu, Grader Divyesh Tekale, Grader |
| Communication |
We'll use Piazza for general discussion and questions about course material. For administrative issues, email ece422-staff@illinois.edu to contact the course staff. This is a paperless course. Assignments will be distributed here and you will submit them through SVN here. |
| Reference Books |
No textbook is required, but if you would like additional references, we recommend: Security Engineering by Ross Anderson Cryptography Engineering by Ferguson, Schneier, and Kohno Introduction to Computer Security by Matt Bishop Computer Security: Principles and Practice by William Stallings Computer Security: Art and Science by Matt Bishop Security in Computing by Charles P. Pfleeger Introduction to Computer Security by Michael Goodrich and Roberto Tamassia |
| Resources |
Security Research at Illinois Security Course Roadmap |
Grading
| Homework Exercises | 25% | Five homework exercises, completed on your own |
| Programming Projects | 40% | Five programming projects, completed in teams of two |
| Class Participation | 5% | Attendance, alertness, questions, intellectual contributions |
| Final Exam | 30% | One exam covering all material from the course |
Ethics, Law, and University Policies Warning
To defend a system you need to be able to think like an attacker, and that includes understanding techniques that can be used to compromise security. However, using those techniques in the real world may violate the law or the university’s rules, and it may be unethical. Under some circumstances, even probing for weaknesses may result in severe penalties, up to and including expulsion, civil fines, and jail time. Our policy in ECE 422, CS 461 is that you must respect the privacy and property rights of others at all times, or else you will fail the course.
Acting lawfully and ethically is your responsibility. Carefully read the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a federal statute that broadly criminalizes computer intrusion. This is one of several laws that govern “hacking.” Understand what the law prohibits — you don’t want to end up like this guy. If in doubt, we can refer you to an attorney.
Please review the Campus Administrative Manual (especially Policy on Appropriate Use of Computers and Network Systems at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) for guidelines concerning proper use of information technology at Illinois, as well as the Student Code (especially 1-302 Rules of Conduct, 1‑402 Academic Integrity Infractions). As members of the university, you are required to abide by these policies.
