Introduction to Computer Security Spring 2019
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.
| Professors |
Michael Bailey Office hours: by appointment Kirill Levchenko Office hours: by appointment |
| Prerequisites | Credit in CS 241 or ECE 391 |
| Lectures | Mon./Wed. 12:30–13:45, 1320 Digital Computer Laboratory |
| Discussion Sections |
Thu. 10:00–10:50, 1214 Siebel Center for Comp Sci Thu. 11:00–11:50, 1214 Siebel Center for Comp Sci Thu. 12:00–12:50, 1214 Siebel Center for Comp Sci Thu. 13:00–13:50, 1214 Siebel Center for Comp Sci Thu. 14:00–14:50, 1214 Siebel Center for Comp Sci Thu. 15:00–15:50, 1214 Siebel Center for Comp Sci |
| TAs |
Zane Zheng Ma, TA Deepak Kumar, TA Kaishen Wang, TA Sameet Sapra, TA Seoung Kim, TA Office hours: M-F 17:00–19:00 (ECEB 3015). Note a small number of room conflicts necessitate alternative rooms, be sure to check Piazza for announcements. |
| 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 on the website and you will submit them through GIT. Students get their own GIT repo in a course-semester GitHub organization, created by course staff. Grades will be managed through Compass2g. Lecture videos are available on echo360. Lecture slides and optional reading materials are on the website. Copies of assignments, slides, and other materials will also be available on a course-semester GitHub organization _public repo. |
| Reference Books |
No textbook is required, but if you would like additional references, we recommend: Computer Security: Principles and Practice by William Stallings and Lawrie Brown. Pearson ISBN 9780134794105 Computer Security: Art and Science by Matt Bishop. Addison-Wesley Professional ISBN 0321712331 Security in Computing by Charles P. Pfleeger and Shari Lawrence Pfleeger. Pearson India ISBN 9789352866533 Introduction to Computer Security by Michael Goodrich and Roberto Tamassia. Pearson ISBN 9780321512949 Introduction to Computer Security by Matt Bishop. Addison-Wesley Professional ISBN 0321247442 Firewalls and Internet Security: Repelling the Wily Hacker by William R. Cheswick, Steven M. Bellovin, and Aviel D. Rubin. Addison-Wesley Professional ISBN 0785342634662 Security Engineering: A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed Systems by Ross J. Anderson. Wiley ISBN 0470068523 Computer Security: A Hands-on ApproachWenliang (Kevin) Du. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform ISBN 154836794X Computer Security Fundamentals by Chuck Easttom. Pearson IT Certification ISBN 078975746X Principles of Computer Security (Official Comptia Guide) by Wm. Arthur Conklin, Greg White, Chuck Cothren, Roger L. Davis, and Dwayne Williams. McGraw-Hill Education ISBN 0071835970 Computer and Information Security Handbook by John R. Vacca. Morgan Kaufmann ISBN 0128038438 |
| Resources |
Security and Privacy Research at Illinois Security Course Roadmap |
Grading
| Programming Projects | 60% | Five programming projects, completed in teams of two |
| Midterm Exam | 20% | One exam covering material in the first half of class |
| Final Exam | 20% | 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.
