Dr. Greg Bernstein
January 12th, 2022
Security principles, scope and vulnerabilities of Cyberspace, the problem of identity, privacy, malicious software, data security, cryptography, authentication in distributed systems, e-mail security, network security, wireless security, offensive security. Programming assignments and review of literature.
This is a general course on cybersecurity. Networking is not a prerequisite and will be reviewed, the department has a separate course on cryptography.
The tentative course schedule is in the syllabus and maintained only at https://www.grotto-networking.com/CyberSecurity/CyberSec.html
Due to most text books being out of date we will be using a variety of freely available resources these include:
Supplemental Readings, Podcasts, and Videos may be assigned throughout the course. In particular we will get our case studies for the first 2/3 of the course from the Darknet Diaries podcast. We will also use various rigorous security blogs for our case studies.
Laptop or desktop running modern version of Windows, MacOS, or Linux.
Ability to install required Open Source (free) security/development tools
Network connectivity and bandwidth: This course will be using Zoom for online course lectures and office hours.
your development environment is your responsibility!
I cannot configure your computer for you.
I will encourage students to help each other with their development environments.
Most problems encountered with computers, software, or networks do not excuse late submissions of assignments or exams.
Every programmer should be using version control for all but the smallest projects. In this class we will use git.
We also need a way to privately share many files between student and teacher/grader. For this we will use GitHub classroom.
Use is required for all submissions of homework and possibly exams.
I recommend using a good code editor with Markdown support for this course. Free editors include:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Apply Cybersecurity requirements to computer systems, networks, and applications.
Utilize security applications and tools to creatively solve security problems.
Recognize and distinguish the mechanisms, components and architecture of cybersecurity systems.
Analyze Cybersecurity problems, and identify and define the resources and requirements needed for its solution.
Demonstrate communication skills in both written and oral form, work in a team environment, and independently/collaboratively acquire new cybersecurity skills through analysis of current computer science literature and industrial practices.
20% assignments, 20% each midterm, 30% Final, 10% participation. No extra credit can or will be assigned.
The grading scale is as follows: A 92.5%, A- 90.0%, B+ 87.5%, B 82.5%, B- 80.0%, C+ 77.5%, C 72.5%, C- 70.0%, D+ 67.5%, D 60.0%, F lower than 60%
Problems sets will be generally be assigned on a weekly basis and will be posted on the course website with a reminder sent through Blackboard.
We will be using GitHub classroom for almost all the work in this class.
Assignment submission will consist of a commit/push of programming resources to your private class repository on the properly named branch prior to the deadline.
No email submissions or Blackboard submissions will be accepted!
Repository branch names will be given with the assignment and must be followed exactly or the assignment will not be graded.
A randomly selected subset or all of the problems will be graded for each assignment.
There will be two midterm examinations. The exams dates are scheduled for Wednesday February 23rd, 2022 and Wednesday April 6th, 2022.
Final per CSUEB final exam schedule section 1: Monday, May 9, 2022, 10:15AM-12:15PM; section 2: Wednesday, May 11, 2022, 8:00AM-10:00AM
Class participation credit can be earned in a number of ways:
Office hours are shared amongst the many students in my class. Most times demand for my attention is moderate, but when there are many students waiting I will need to limit each students time to try to accommodate as many students as possible.
I will be encouraging students to help each other during office hours. Such assistance to your fellow students counts as “class participation”
We live in a multi-cultural world! At US universities there are certain customs and protocols that are typically observed.
“I have doubts on XYZ” sounds to native English speakers that you may not consider “XYZ” valid or good in some sense.
What is typically intended is “I do not understand XYZ”, and even better yet let me know the details of exactly you don’t understand.
By enrolling in this class the student agrees to uphold the standards of academic integrity described at https://www.csueastbay.edu/aps/academic-policies/academic-dishonesty.html.
Although collaborative study and dialogue are encouraged, students are expected to author solutions entirely on their own.
If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, or if you would need assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation, please contact me as soon as possible. Students with disabilities needing accommodation should speak with the Accessibility Services.
California State University, East Bay is committed to being a safe and caring community. Your appropriate response in the event of an emergency can help save lives. Information on what to do in an emergency situation (earthquake, electrical outage, fire, extreme heat, severe storm, hazardous materials, terrorist attack) may be found at: http://www20.csueastbay.edu/af/departments/risk-management/ehs/emergency-management/index.html Please be familiar with these procedures. Information on this page is updated as required. Please review the information on a regular basis.
Title IX and CSU policy prohibit discrimination, harassment and retaliation, including Sex Discrimination, Sexual Harassment or Sexual Violence. CSUEB encourages anyone experiencing such behavior to report their concerns immediately. CSUEB has both confidential and non-confidential resources and reporting options available to you. Non-confidential resources include faculty and staff, who are required to report all incidents and thus cannot promise confidentiality. Faculty and staff must provide the campus Title IX coordinator and or the DHR Administrator with relevant details such as the names of those involved in an incident. For confidential services, contact the Confidential Advocate at 510-885-3700 or go to the Student Health and Counseling Center. For 24-hour crisis services call the BAWAR hotline at 510-845-7273. For more information about policies and resources or reporting options, please visit the following websites: https://www.csueastbay.edu/riskmanagement/complaint.html, http://www.csueastbay.edu/titleix
The University is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy living and learning environment for students, faculty, and staff. Each member of the campus community should choose behaviors that contribute toward this end http://www.csueastbay.edu/studentconduct/student-conduct.html.