CECS 378

Introduction to Computer Security Principles

Spring 2019

Course Meeting Time and Location

TuTh  11-11:50AM   VEC-402
TuTh  12-1:15PM     ECS-405

Instructor

Dr. Mehrdad Aliasgari

Email: mehrdad.aliasgari at csulb.edu

Office: ECS-550

Office hours: Wednesdays 1-2pm or by appointment

Required Textbook

Computer Security - Principles and Practice , 4th Edition by William Stalllings and Lawrie Brown, 2017.

Course Goals

By the end of the semester students will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the meaning and risks of computer security

• Identify security assets, stakeholders, adversarial model

• Analyze possible attack surfaces

• Apply problem solving skills and learnt tools to recognize and solve security challenges

• Develop and evaluate a security solution

Course Topics

·       Overview (Ch. 1)

·       Elementary Cryptography - Substitutions / Permutations (Ch. 2)

·       Symmetric, Assymmetric Encryption, DES, Rijndael (Ch. 20)

·       Public Key Encryption, RSA, Digital Signatures (Ch. 21)

·       User Authentication (Ch. 3)

·       Access Control (Ch. 4)

·       Database Security (Ch. 5)

·       Malicious Software (Ch. 6)

·       Buffer Overflow (Ch. 10)

Grading

Your final grades are comprised of the following components: Class Participation 10%, Quizzes 20%, Homework 15%, Lab work 20%, Exam I 15%,  Final Exam 20%.

Quizzes are due at the beginning of a class with no exception.

Please note that all course materials are distributed through BeachBoard.

Document submission is done only via Dropbox in BeachBoard. No material will be accepted if submitted via email or hardcopy.

There is NO late submission.

Exam Schedule

• Exam I: TBA
• Final Exam:

                Thursday, May16, 10:15AM - 12:15PM

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required since part of your final grade depends on class participation and quizzes.

Note: There will be no make-ups for missed quizzes.

Exam make-ups are “not” allowed (early or late). However, some consideration will be given to students who miss an exam due to a personal or family emergency, as long as a “valid” proof is provided. Students who have to miss an exam for a valid reason should notify the instructor before exam time if at all possible.

Student Feedback

Please feel free to contact the instructor to share any concern or opinion about the course throughout the semester. There will be anonymous surveys conducted via BeachBoard as a means of having students' voice heard (anonymously). Your participation is highly encouraged.

Academic Integrity and Dishonesty

Please read here and here.

Read here for cheating and plagiarism and their definitions.

It is the student's responsibility to familiarize themselves with what constitutes cheating or plagiarism through the above university articles or other accepted tools. There is zero tolerance for cheating or plagiarism. Any act that is to be deemed cheating or plagiarism may result in failing the course and at the minimum losing a considerable portion of the final grade.

Withdrawal Policy

Please read here.

Emergency Preparedness Instructions

Please read here.

Disabilities

DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES is a student support program within the Student Services Division. Our mission is to assist students with disabilities as they secure their university degrees at California State University, Long Beach. We provide services to over 13,000 students each semester. Over 3,000 students with disabilities have graduated from CSU Long Beach with support from our program.
The Disabled Student Services office is located on the 2nd floor in the Administration Building, room SS/AD 270

It is your responsibility to notify the instructor in advance of any need for special accommodation due to a university verified disability.