Note: This unit is an archived version! See Overview tab for delivered versions.
ELEC5616: Computer and Network Security (2011 - Semester 1)
| Unit: | ELEC5616: Computer and Network Security (6 CP) |
| Mode: | Normal-Day |
| On Offer: | Yes |
| Level: | Postgraduate |
| Faculty/School: | School of Electrical & Information Engineering |
| Unit Coordinator/s: |
A/Prof Levy, David
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| Session options: | Semester 1 |
| Versions for this Unit: | |
| Site(s) for this Unit: |
http://www.ee.usyd.edu.au/~mattb/2009/ |
| Campus: | Camperdown/Darlington |
| Pre-Requisites: | None. |
| Brief Handbook Description: | This unit examines the basic cryptographic building blocks of security, working through to their applications in authentication, key exchange, secret and public key encryption, digital signatures, protocols and systems. It then considers these applications in the real world, including models for integrity, authentication, electronic cash, viruses, firewalls, electronic voting, risk assessment, secure web browsers and electronic warfare. Practical cryptosystems are analysed with regard to the assumptions with which they were designed, their limitations, failure modes and ultimately why most end up broken. |
| Assumed Knowledge: | A programming language, basic maths. |
| Lecturer/s: |
Mr Barrie, Matt
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| Timetable: | ELEC5616 Timetable | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time Commitment: |
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| T&L Activities: | Laboratory: One 2-hour lab working on a project. Project Work - own time: Students will work in groups of 2 to design and build a software security system/ Independent Study: Self study and independent learning is a key to success in this UoS. |
Attributes listed here represent the key course goals (see Course Map tab) designated for this unit. The list below describes how these attributes are developed through practice in the unit. See Learning Outcomes and Assessment tabs for details of how these attributes are assessed.
| Attribute Development Method | Attribute Developed |
| Application of knowledge by analysis of current systems, their limitations and failure modes. Different design criteria for security systems are presented and analysed. Students are required to design their own security system in the project work. | Design and Problem Solving Skills (Level 4) |
| Gain an understanding of the cryptographic building blocks of security. Various security systems widely used in real applications are introduced and analysed. |
Discipline Specific Expertise (Level 5) |
| Master the mathematical and computer science fundamentals of cryptography and security | Fundamentals of Science and Engineering (Level 3) |
| Intensive research will be included in the project work and the assignment. Students need to collect comprehensive information from various sources in order to perform well. | Information Skills (Level 2) |
| Project reports are one of the main assessment elements for the project work. Students need to write concisely, accurately and convincingly. Each team is also required to give a presentation about their project at the end of the semester. | Professional Communication (Level 2) |
| The project work requires students to form groups and manage their progress through the entire project, including conceiving, design, building, testing and demonstrating the project. | Teamwork and Project Management (Level 2) |
For explanation of attributes and levels see Engineering/IT Graduate Attribute Matrix 2009.
Learning outcomes are the key abilities and knowledge that will be assessed in this unit. They are listed according to the course goal supported by each. See Assessment Tab for details how each outcome is assessed.
Design and Problem Solving Skills (Level 4)
1. Ability to compare and contrast practical cryptosystems and the assumptions with which they were designed to determine their failure modes and to design a cryptosystem to a specification
Discipline Specific Expertise (Level 5)
2. Ability to appraise applicability and value of cryptography in authentication, key exchange, secret and public key encryption, digital signatures, protocols and systems.
Fundamentals of Science and Engineering (Level 3)
3. Proficient use of software system knowledge and cryptography in designing and evaluating security schemes.
Information Skills (Level 2)
4. Ability to undertake inquiry and knowledge development by first identifying the limits of the available information on security systems and then effectively searching and synthesising the information most pertinent.
Professional Communication (Level 2)
5. Ability to write reports and make presentations on the complexity of security system design and its related performance, using clear and accurate terms and a language commensurate with the expected level of understanding by stakeholders.
Teamwork and Project Management (Level 2)
6. Ability to work in a team, taking up clear roles and responsibilities while drawing on skills and knowledge of other team members in order to deliver specific engineering work.
| Assessment Methods: |
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| Assessment Description: |
Project: Three project reports plus demo Assignment: Two assignments Quiz: Two quizzes |
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| Grading: |
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| Policies & Procedures: | Policies regarding academic honesty and plagiarism, special consideration and appeals in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies can be found on the Faculty's policy page at http://www.eng.usyd.edu.au/policies Faculty policies are governed by Academic Board resolutions whose details can be found on the Central Policy Online site at http://www.usyd.edu.au/policy/ Policies regarding assessment formatting, submission methods, late submission penalties and assessment feedback depend on the unit of study. Details of these policies, where applicable, should be found above with other assessment details. |
| Prescribed Text/s: |
Note: Students are expected to have a personal copy of all books listed.
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| Online Course Content: | http://www.ee.usyd.edu.au/~mattb/2009/ |
| Note on Resources: |
sci.crypt newsgroup Security Engineering (Wiley), Ross Anderson, 2001. Applied Cryptography, 2nd Edition (Wiley), Bruce Schneier, 1996 Firewalls and Internet Security: Repelling the Wily Hacker (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing), W R. Cheswick, S M. Bellovin, 1994 Decrypted Secrets (Springer), F. L. Bauer, 1997 Cracking DES: Secrets of Encryption Research, Wiretap Politics and Chip Design (O’Reilly), Electronic Frontier Foundation, 1998 The Code Breakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet (Schribner), David Kahn, 1996 Practical Unix and Internet Security, S Garfinkel and G Spafford, 2 ed. (O'Reilly), 1996 Professional Java Security, J. Garms, D. Somerfield (Wrox), ISBN: 1-861004-25-7. TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1: The Protocols, W. Richard Stevens 1994 |
Note that the "Weeks" referred to in this Schedule are those of the official university semester calendar https://web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp
| Week | Description |
| Week 1 | Hash Functions |
| Introduction | |
| Week 2 | Symmetric Cyphers, DES |
| Cyphers | |
| Week 3 | Attacks on DES |
| Key Exchange | |
| Week 4 | Rainbow Tables |
| Introduction to Number Theory | |
| Asymmetric Crypto | |
| Week 5 | Digital Signatures |
| Authentication | |
| Week 6 | Crypto Protocols I |
| Crypto Protocols II | |
| Week 8 | E-Commerce Protocols |
| Week 9 | Overview of Network Security |
| Network Protocols I | |
| Network Protocols II | |
| Week 10 | Hardware Security |
| Wireless Security | |
| Software Security | |
| Week 11 | Quantum Crypto |
| Guest Lecture: Paul "The Duck" Ducklin (Head of Technology, Sophos) | |
| The Politics of Crypto | |
| Week 12 | Live Demo! |
| Modern Multi-stage Malware -- how it works and how to stop it? | |
| Exam Period | Assessment Due: Final Exam |
Course Relations
The following is a list of courses which have added this Unit to their structure.
Course Goals
This unit contributes to the achievement of the following course goals:
| Attribute | Practiced | Assessed |
| Design and Problem Solving Skills (Level 4) | Yes | 31.75% |
| Discipline Specific Expertise (Level 5) | Yes | 25.5% |
| Fundamentals of Science and Engineering (Level 3) | Yes | 24% |
| Information Skills (Level 2) | Yes | 6.25% |
| Professional Communication (Level 2) | Yes | 6.25% |
| Professional Values, Judgement and Conduct (Level 2) | No | 0% |
| Teamwork and Project Management (Level 2) | Yes | 6.25% |
These goals are selected from Engineering/IT Graduate Attribute Matrix 2009 which defines overall goals for courses where this unit is primarily offered. See Engineering/IT Graduate Attribute Matrix 2009 for details of the attributes and levels to be developed in the course as a whole. Percentage figures alongside each course goal provide a rough indication of their relative weighting in assessment for this unit. Note that not all goals are necessarily part of assessment. Some may be more about practice activity. See Learning outcomes for details of what is assessed in relation to each goal and Assessment for details of how the outcome is assessed. See Attributes for details of practice provided for each goal.
