CS 4310 : Computer and Network Security

CS 4310: Computer and Network Security

Semester Hours:   3.0
Contact Hours:   3
Coordinator:   Ruinian Li
Text:   Readings provided by instructor
Author(s):   VARIED
Year:   Varied

SPECIFIC COURSE INFORMATION

Catalog Description

Cryptographic techniques, including hashing, key distribution, and authentication; Comprehensive study of security protocols such as IPsec, SSH, VPN and TLS; Attacks and defenses in remote access, web applications and wireless networks; Hands-on experience with penetration testing, data protection with cryptographic algorithms in secure applications; security implications of emerging technologies. Prerequisites: a grade of C or better in CS 2310 or CS 3320, and a corequisite of CS 4390.

Course type: ELECTIVE

SPECIFIC COURSE GOALS

• I can compare common authentication schemes. (Analyze)
• I can analyze common security protocols in network communication. (Analyze)
• I can assess defense mechanisms for common web attacks. (Evaluate)
• I can assess defense mechanisms for common wireless attacks. (Evaluate)
• I can utilize common penetration tests. (Apply)
• I can evaluate cryptographic algorithms to protect data privacy in online applications. (Evaluate)

LIST OF TOPICS COVERED

• Introduction to Computer and Network Security (~7%)
  • Overview of basic network protocols
  • Understanding malwares and their types
  • Role and functionality of security gateways
  • Denial of service attacks and mitigation techniques
• Cryptography Fundamentals (~10%)
  • Computational difficulty in cryptography
  • Random numbers
  • Security foundation of symmetric/asymmetric encryption algorithms
  • Cryptographic hashes: password hashing, commitment schemes, Merkle trees
• Authentication (~7%)
  • Password-based authentication
  • Address-based authentication
  • Biometrics in authentication
  • Key distribution and recovery
• Remote Access Attacks and Defenses (~10%)
  • Transport layer security (TLS)
  • IPsec, IKE (Internet Key Exchange Protocol)
  • SSH authentication and tunneling mechanisms
  • VPN and anonymous communication
• Web Attacks and Defenses (~18%)
  • Cross-Site scripting and defenses
  • Cross-Site request forgery and defenses
  • Injection attacks and defenses
  • DNS attacks and defenses
• Wireless Attacks and Defenses (~10%)
  • Packet sniffing and spoofing, and defenses
  • Jamming Attacks and defenses
• Penetration Testing and Security Assessments (~14%)
  • Basic penetration testing techniques and tools
  • Social engineering attacks and human factors in security
  • Practical security assessment methodologies
• Cryptographic Techniques for Data Protection (~7%)
  • Proxy-based re-encryption scheme
  • Identity-based and attribute-based encryption
  • Homomorphic encryption, secret sharing, and zero-knowledge proof
• Blockchain (~7%)
  • Introduction to Bitcoin and Ethereum
  • Decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and their role
• Machine Learning and Security (~7%)
  • Adversarial examples in machine learning
  • Generative adversarial networks (GANs)
  • Machine learning techniques for security analytics
• Security for Emerging Network Technologies: (~7%)
  • 5G security considerations
  • IoT network security challenges
  • Edge computing and its implications for network security