CSC474 - Network Security #

Course Overview #

This introductory course will impart a broad understanding of the underpinnings of security techniques, security best practices, and security failures. Coverage of high-level concepts such as confidentiality, integrity, and availability applied to hardware, software, and data.

• The course should help students to understand the mindsets of attackers (the bad guys and gals who do malicious things on the network) and system designers and defenders (the good guys and gals who try to stop the attackers).
• The course should prepare students to understand and assess security threats, become familiar with security engineering best practices, and write better software, protocols, and systems.

Covered topics are listed on the schedule and syllabus.

Prerequisites:

• CSC 230 or ECE 209, Computer Science Majors
• Credit not allowed for both CSC 474 and CSC 574

Structure #

This course meets in-person twice a week. Content is primarily delivered via lectures with integrated learning activities. Homework assignments provide written questions that apply knowledge taught in the classroom. The instructor will not take any formal attendance for class meetings. Participation will be assessed via the readings.

Grade Components:

Policy Overview: See the syllabus for in-depth policies.

• Attendance: I don’t intend to track attendance for class meetings (but I reserve the right in case attendance drops below a sustainable level).
• Late Assignments: homework / exercise / reading assignments may be submitted up to 48 hours after the deadline without penalty. No justification or request is required for this grace period. After the penalty-free 48 hours, each additional 24 hour period without communicated extension will result in a final score reduction of 25%.
• Extensions: Additional extensions may be granted on (email) request before the original deadline and for legitimate reasons like university-excused absence, illness, major research or project deadlines, conference attendance, etc.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain concepts related to applied cryptography, including plaintext, ciphertext, symmetric cryptography, asymmetric cryptography, digital signatures.
• Outline the requirements and mechanisms for identification and authentication of users and computer systems, including authentication protocols and key management. Identify the possible threats to each mechanism and ways to protect against these threats.
• Explain common network and Web vulnerabilities and attacks, defense mechanisms against these attacks, and cryptographic protection mechanisms.
• Describe the methods and motivation of Internet malware, and explain existing defense mechanisms and their limitations.

Optional Materials #

The following books (available online) provide additional information but are not required for the course.

• Paul C. Van Oorschot. Computer Security and the Internet: Tools and Jewels. Springer. 2020. Note: Author’s self-archived version is freely available.
• Ross Anderson. Security Engineering, 2nd Edition. Wiley. April 2008.
• Alfred J. Menezes, Paul C. van Oorschot and Scott A. Vanstone. Handbook of Applied Cryptography. CRC Press. October 1996.

Staff #

Further Resources #

Further resources for wellbeing:

Overview at NC State’s “Academic and Student Affairs” website: https://dasa.ncsu.edu/support-and-advocacy/find-help/

• Study Skills and Test Anxiety
• Wellness and Recreation
• Wolfpack Wellness
• Counseling Center
• NC State CARES
• Pack Essentials