Students
ITEC643 – Cryptography and Information Security
2016 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor, lecturer
Les Bell
Contact via By email
Available for the hour after Thursday lectures; other times by appointment.
Workshops Supervisor
Xinyu Fan
Contact via X.6347
E6A 347
TBA
Workshops Supervisor
Byungho Min
Contact via X. 6342
E6A 346
TBA
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
4
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
COMP343 / ITEC643
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides an introduction to modern cryptography and information security. First, some cryptographic primitives, such as private key and public key ciphers, hash functions and digital signatures, are introduced. Then, some security technologies are discussed to illustrate how basic cryptographic primitives are concretely used in real life applications. Various attacks on the cryptographic schemes and protocols are also discussed.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial Tasks | 8% | Weekly |
| Assignment 1 | 13% | Week 7 |
| Assignment 2 | 13% | Week 12 |
| Assignment 3 | 15% | Week 13 |
| Mid Semester Test | 13% | Week 6 |
| Final Examination | 38% | TBA |
Tutorial Tasks
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 8%
Each week, a set of exercises will be available online. Some require written submissions, while some are multiple choice. Your solutions should be submitted electronically via iLearn before the deadline specified in the text.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assignment 1
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 13%
Implementation of a cryptoprimitive and test program. The assignment is to be submitted via iLearn. Late submissions attract no marks.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
Assignment 2
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 13%
Security Evaluation of a System or Product. The assignment is to be submitted via iLearn. Late submissions attract no marks.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assignment 3
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 15%
Pick two conference talks or papers, one from a list of academic conferences and one from a list of industry conferences. Summarize and review each paper. Each summary and review should be 1200 - 1500 words long. Finally, add 500 - 1000 words summarizing the differences you have discovered between the two types of conferences and their submissions. The assignment is to be submitted via iLearn. Late submissions attract no marks.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Mid Semester Test
Due: Week 6
Weighting: 13%
A 50 minutes long written examination worth 15% that will be held in week 6 during class time. This will test your understanding of material covered in weeks 1 to 6. The mid-semester test has the same structure as the final examination. The feedback received will allow you to be better prepared for the final examination.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
Final Examination
Due: TBA
Weighting: 38%
The final examination is designed to test your understanding of basic concepts of modern Cryptography and Information Security. Regarding the examination process, note that:
- you must attend all required classes and submit all required assessments, otherwise the Executive Dean of the Faculty or delegated authority has the power to refuse permission to attend the final examination
- the University Examination period for Mid-Year 2015 is from Tuesday 9th June to Friday 26th June 2015
- you are expected to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable
- the timetable will be available in Draft form approximately eight weeks before the commencement of the examinations and in Final form approximately four weeks before the commencement of examinations
- no early examinations for individuals or groups of students will be set. All students are expected to ensure that they are available until the end of the teaching semester, that is the final day of the official examination period
- the only exception to not sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances you may wish to notify the university of your circumstances as described in the Disruption to Studies Policy.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Delivery and Resources
COMPUTING FACILITIES
Important! Please note that COMP343 will be a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) unit in 2016. You will be expected to bring your own laptop computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) to the Tutorial/Practicals, install and configure the required software, and incorporate secure practices into your daily work (and play!) routines.
CLASSES
Each week you should complete any assigned readings and review the lecture slides in order to prepare for the lecture. There are two hours of lectures on Monday afternoons, and a third hour on Thursdays at lunch time.
There are two practical workshops, on Mondays and Thursdays, which use hands-on exercises to introduce and reinforce concepts related to the lecture content; you should have chosen a practical on enrollment. You will find it helpful to read the workshop instructions before attending - that way, you can get to work quickly!
For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.
Note that Practicals commence in week 1.
You should have selected a practical at enrolment.
Please note that you will be required to submit work every week. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit or being excluded from the exam.
DISCUSSION BOARDS
This unit makes use of discussion boards hosted within iLearn . Please post questions there; they are monitored by the staff on the unit.
REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS
Required readings for this unit:
- A. J. Menezes, P. C. van Oorrschot and S. A. Vanstone, Handbook of applied cryptography (HAC), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1996. All required chapters are available online at http://cacr.uwaterloo.ca/hac/
- R. Anderson, Security Engineering (SE) Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2008. The complete second edition is now available online at http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html
Recommended readings for this unit:
- NIST SP 800 documents available from http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/PubsSPs.html
- IETF RFC's available from http://www.rfc-editor.org
- Bauer, Craig P., Secret History: The Story of Cryptology, CRC Press (2013)
- N. Smart, Cryptography: An introduction, McGraw-Hill. The 3rd edition is available online at http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/~nigel/Crypto_Book/
TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED
iLearn
iLearn is a Learning Management System that gives you access to lecture slides, lecture recordings, forums, assessment tasks, instructions for practicals, discussion forums and other resources.
Echo 360 (formerly known as iLecture)
Digital recordings of lectures are available. Read these instructions for details.
Technology Used
Java or C++ programming language and GP/PARI, GnuPG, VeraCrypt, Thunderbird, Gnu Privacy Guard, Enigmail, OpenSSH, PuTTY, Ophcrack.
Unit Schedule
|
Week |
Topic |
Reading |
|
1 |
Introduction to cryptography, information theory, classical ciphers up to Enigma |
Lecture Slides, HAC Chapter 1.1, 2.1-2.3 |
|
2 |
Secret-key (Symmetric) Cryptography - Principles, DES, Attacks on DES |
Lecture Slides, HAC 7.3, 7.4, 2.4 - 2.6 |
|
3 |
Secret-Key (Symmetric) Cryptography - Other block ciphers, AES, Stream Ciphers, Sources of Randomness |
Lecture Slides, HAC 6, 5.1, |
|
4 |
Cryptographic Hash Functions and Constructions |
Lecture Slides, HAC 9 |
|
5 |
Public Key Cryptography - RSA, DSA, El Gamal, Attacks on RSA |
Lecture Slides, HAC 8, 11 |
|
6 |
Advanced Topics- Elliptic Curve Cryptography, Quantum Cryptography, Post-Quantum Cryptography. Mid-term test |
Lecture Slides |
|
7 |
Introduction to infosec, encrypted files and filesystems, block cipher modes |
Lecture Slides, Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report |
|
8 |
Authentication, protocols, signatures |
Lecture Slides, SE Chapters 3, 5, 15 |
|
9 |
Encryption for network communications - SSL, SSH, PGP |
Lecture Slides, Notes, SE Chapter 20 |
|
10 |
Access control - discretionary access control in UNIX and Windows, mandatory access control and trusted systems, security models for applications |
Lecture Slides, Notes, SE Chapters 4, 8, 9 |
|
11 |
Information security, risk management, software security, forensics and incident investigation |
Lecture Slides, Notes, SE Chapter 25 |
|
12 |
Zero-knowledge Proofs, Anonymity, Blind Signatures, Digital Cash and Voting |
Lecture Slides, Notes |
|
13 |
Revision and exam preparation |
Learning and Teaching Activities
Lectures
Tutorials
Practicals
Readings
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
New Assessment Policy in effect from Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html. For more information visit http://students.mq.edu.au/events/2016/07/19/new_assessment_policy_in_place_from_session_2/
Assessment Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy prior to Session 2 2016 http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
Creative and Innovative
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assessment tasks
- Tutorial Tasks
- Assignment 1
- Assignment 2
- Final Examination
Learning and teaching activities
- The lectures are the primary activity for this unit. While the lecture notes or slides will be available on iLearn, a lot of supporting detail and explanation is presented in the lectures, so skipping them is inadvisable.
- The tutorials are workshop-style interactive sessions which relate the theory from the lectures to the practical sessions which follow. The tutorials also provide material which may fill in gaps in students' knowledge and establish some basic skills which will be useful in the practicals and Assignment 1.
- The practicals provide opportunities for hands-on learning in three primary areas: low-level programming skills, the number theory which underlies public-key cryptography and the practical application of security technologies such as file and disk encryption as well as the exchange of signed and encrypted emails. Important! Please note that COMP343 will be a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) unit in 2016. You will be expected to bring your own laptop computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) to the Tutorial/Practicals, install and configure the required software, and incorporate secure practices into your daily work (and play!) routines.
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Learning and teaching activities
- The lectures are the primary activity for this unit. While the lecture notes or slides will be available on iLearn, a lot of supporting detail and explanation is presented in the lectures, so skipping them is inadvisable.
- The practicals provide opportunities for hands-on learning in three primary areas: low-level programming skills, the number theory which underlies public-key cryptography and the practical application of security technologies such as file and disk encryption as well as the exchange of signed and encrypted emails. Important! Please note that COMP343 will be a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) unit in 2016. You will be expected to bring your own laptop computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) to the Tutorial/Practicals, install and configure the required software, and incorporate secure practices into your daily work (and play!) routines.
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Learning and teaching activities
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assessment tasks
- Tutorial Tasks
- Assignment 1
- Assignment 2
- Mid Semester Test
- Final Examination
Learning and teaching activities
- The lectures are the primary activity for this unit. While the lecture notes or slides will be available on iLearn, a lot of supporting detail and explanation is presented in the lectures, so skipping them is inadvisable.
- The tutorials are workshop-style interactive sessions which relate the theory from the lectures to the practical sessions which follow. The tutorials also provide material which may fill in gaps in students' knowledge and establish some basic skills which will be useful in the practicals and Assignment 1.
- The practicals provide opportunities for hands-on learning in three primary areas: low-level programming skills, the number theory which underlies public-key cryptography and the practical application of security technologies such as file and disk encryption as well as the exchange of signed and encrypted emails. Important! Please note that COMP343 will be a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) unit in 2016. You will be expected to bring your own laptop computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) to the Tutorial/Practicals, install and configure the required software, and incorporate secure practices into your daily work (and play!) routines.
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assessment tasks
- Tutorial Tasks
- Assignment 1
- Assignment 2
- Mid Semester Test
- Final Examination
Learning and teaching activities
- The lectures are the primary activity for this unit. While the lecture notes or slides will be available on iLearn, a lot of supporting detail and explanation is presented in the lectures, so skipping them is inadvisable.
- The tutorials are workshop-style interactive sessions which relate the theory from the lectures to the practical sessions which follow. The tutorials also provide material which may fill in gaps in students' knowledge and establish some basic skills which will be useful in the practicals and Assignment 1.
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Problem Solving and Research Capability
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security
- Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assessment tasks
- Tutorial Tasks
- Assignment 1
- Assignment 2
- Mid Semester Test
- Final Examination
Learning and teaching activities
- The lectures are the primary activity for this unit. While the lecture notes or slides will be available on iLearn, a lot of supporting detail and explanation is presented in the lectures, so skipping them is inadvisable.
- The tutorials are workshop-style interactive sessions which relate the theory from the lectures to the practical sessions which follow. The tutorials also provide material which may fill in gaps in students' knowledge and establish some basic skills which will be useful in the practicals and Assignment 1.
- The practicals provide opportunities for hands-on learning in three primary areas: low-level programming skills, the number theory which underlies public-key cryptography and the practical application of security technologies such as file and disk encryption as well as the exchange of signed and encrypted emails. Important! Please note that COMP343 will be a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) unit in 2016. You will be expected to bring your own laptop computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) to the Tutorial/Practicals, install and configure the required software, and incorporate secure practices into your daily work (and play!) routines.
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Effective Communication
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems
- Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Assessment tasks
- Tutorial Tasks
- Assignment 1
- Assignment 2
- Final Examination
Learning and teaching activities
- The lectures are the primary activity for this unit. While the lecture notes or slides will be available on iLearn, a lot of supporting detail and explanation is presented in the lectures, so skipping them is inadvisable.
- The tutorials are workshop-style interactive sessions which relate the theory from the lectures to the practical sessions which follow. The tutorials also provide material which may fill in gaps in students' knowledge and establish some basic skills which will be useful in the practicals and Assignment 1.
- The practicals provide opportunities for hands-on learning in three primary areas: low-level programming skills, the number theory which underlies public-key cryptography and the practical application of security technologies such as file and disk encryption as well as the exchange of signed and encrypted emails. Important! Please note that COMP343 will be a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) unit in 2016. You will be expected to bring your own laptop computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) to the Tutorial/Practicals, install and configure the required software, and incorporate secure practices into your daily work (and play!) routines.
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Some familiarity with contemporary information security research in both academia and industry, and how these differ.
Learning and teaching activities
- The lectures are the primary activity for this unit. While the lecture notes or slides will be available on iLearn, a lot of supporting detail and explanation is presented in the lectures, so skipping them is inadvisable.
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning and teaching activities
- Two required textbooks have been selected - both can be downloaded at no cost in PDF format. The Handbook of Applied Cryptography covers the mathematical underpinnings and details of modern cryptographic techniques, and will be used throughout the first half of the unit. Security Engineering deals with information security principles in general and the practical implementation of cryptosystems, and will be used throughout the second half of the unit.
Changes from Previous Offering
While in previous years, students were encouraged to complete the practicals on their own computer, in 2016 this will become standard practice. Students will be expected to install the required software and complete practicals and tutorial exercises on their own computers.
New material has been added on elliptic curve cryptography, quantum cryptography and post-quantum cryptography.
Grading Standards
Four standards, namely Developing, Functional, Proficient, and Advanced, summarize as many different levels of achievement. Each standard is precisely defined to help students know what kind of performance is expected to deserve a certain mark. The standards corresponding to the learning outcomes of this unit are given below:
|
Outcome |
Developing |
Functional |
Proficient |
Advanced |
|
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and concepts of cryptography and information security |
Distinguishes applicability of secret-key and public-key cryptography and hashing. |
Understand basic concepts of secret-key and public-key cryptography and hashing. Correct formulation of basic cryptographic attacks. |
Understand detailed concepts of secret-key and public-key cryptography and hashing. Ability to describe some cryptographic attacks in detail. |
Mastery of cryptographic concepts; ability to describe all cryptographic attacks from unit in detail; ability to relate security parameters to complexity of cryptanalysis |
|
Apply existing security technologies to preserve security properties of information |
Basic awareness of requirement for security |
Can safeguard own data on disk, exchange files and emails securely with others, can compare and select authentication mechanisms |
Can relate security requirements to design of applications and selection of security model and security services |
Able able to set basic security policy, write standards and procedures for multiple users; understands security features/usability tradeoffs |
|
Apply security principles in the development of applications and systems |
Limited ability to implement a correct Java or C++ program following specifications |
Correctly implement low-level functionality of a cryptoprimitive in Java or C++; implement a program following specifications; able to avoid most common security vulnerabilities in software development |
Write efficient, well-documented Java or C++ code which implements a cryptoprimitive in Java or C++ and utilise this in a program which meets specifications. |
Design well-architected, efficient and well-documented Java or C++ code to implement a cryptoprimitive, together with all required tests and demonstration program, following good design and test practice |
|
Relate information security to enterprise requirements and activities |
Ad-hoc approach to security based on personal experience only |
Can relate information security function to business requirements and policy |
Detailed understanding of vulnerabilities and controls; ability to respond to security incidents |
Basic ability to manage information security in an enterprise |
| Be able to analyse threats, evaluate information risks and design information security policy for a small business or a business unit of a larger enterprise. | Limited understanding of threats, risks and required policy. | Can relate threats to controls in security architecture; able to identify information assets. | Able to identify likely vulnerabilities in technology and business processes; able to select appropriate controls and policy requirements. | Ability to reason at high level about threats, risk and required controls and prioritize resources; able to design policy at technical and user levels; understanding of security culture. |
Grading
At the end of the semester, you will receive a grade that reflects your achievement in the unit
- Fail (F): does not provide evidence of attainment of all learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; and incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.
- Pass (P): provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; and communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.
- Credit (Cr): provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; plus communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.
- Distinction (D): provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.
- High Distinction (HD): provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application.
The relation between standards and grades can be loosely described as follows. If you consistently fail to reach any standard, you will fail the unit. If you consistently achieve
- Functional standards, you will get a P grade.
- Proficient standards, you will get a Cr/D grade.
- Advanced standards, you will get an HD grade.
More precisely, your final grade depends on your performance in each part of the assessment. For each task, you receive a mark that combines your standard of performance regarding each learning outcome assessed by this task. Then the different component marks are added up to determine your total mark out of 100. Your grade then depends on this total mark and your overall standards of performance.
In particular, in order to pass the unit, you must
- Total mark -- have a total mark of 50 or above; and
- Perform satisfactorily in the combined mid semester test and final.
In order to obtain a higher grade than a Pass, you must fulfill the pass requirements and get an overall total mark in the range:
- 85-100 for HD
- 75-84 for D
- 65-74 for CR
- 50-64 for P