CS915 15 CATS 7.5 ECTS Term 1

Availability

Option - MSc CS, MSc DA, MEng CS, MEng DM

Academic Aims

The module aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in computer security. The module will look at security from a system wide perspective, from language-based security to network security, via operating system security. We will also aim to cover new areas such as quantum cryptography, proof-carrying code etc.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module the student should be able to:

• General: Understand the various security concepts such as confidentiality, privacy etc.
• Understand various security models.
• Understand the notion of security policy enforcement and classes of policies that runtime enforceable.
• Understand the workings of firewalls.
• Understand security in distributed systems.
• Understand notions of security in E-commerce.
• Understand the technologies and techniques that support bitcoin.
• Understand source location privacy in wireless sensor networks.

Content

• Threats and Security policy models.
• Security automata, edit automata
• Network security: Firewall design.
• Distributed system security.
• Fair exchange.
• Bitcoin.
• Source location privacy.

Books

• Bishop M, Introduction to Computer Security, 2004, Addison-Wesley.
• Pfleeger C and Pfleeger S, Security in Computing, 1997

Assessment

Two hour examination (70%), coursework (30%)

Teaching

30 one-hour lectures plus 10 one-hour seminars