COMP 455 Computer Security

1. Course Number: COMP 455

2. Course Title: Computer Security
3. Credit Hours: 3
4. Contact Hours:
LECTURE: 3
LAB: 0
5. Prerequisites: COMP 384
6. Course Description
Techniques for achieving security in multi-user computer systems and distributed computer
systems; Cryptography: secret-key, public-key, digital signatures; Authentication and
identification schemes; Intrusion detection: viruses; Formal models of computer security;
Software protection; Electronic mail; Security of the World Wide Web; Firewalls; Risk
assessment
7. Course Objectives: On completion of this course students should be able to have a good
understanding of
Cryptography
Computer Network Security
System level security
8. Detailed course content and lecture schedule
UNIT I INTRODUCTION
OSI Security Architecture - Classical Encryption techniques Cipher Principles Data
Encryption Standard Block Cipher Design Principles and Modes of Operation - Evaluation
criteria for AES AES Cipher Triple DES Placement of Encryption Function Traffic
Confidentiality
UNIT II PUBLIC KEY CRYPTOGRAPHY
Key Management - Diffie-Hellman key Exchange Elliptic Curve Architecture and
Cryptography - Introduction to Number Theory Confidentiality using Symmetric Encryption
Public Key Cryptography and RSA.
UNIT III AUTHENTICATION AND HASH FUNCTION
Authentication requirements Authentication functions Message Authentication Codes Hash
Functions Security of Hash Functions and MACs MD5 message Digest algorithm - Secure
Hash Algorithm RIPEMD HMAC Digital Signatures Authentication Protocols Digital
Signature Standard
UNIT IV NETWORK SECURITY
Authentication Applications: Kerberos X.509 Authentication Service Electronic Mail
Security PGP S/MIME - IP Security Web Security.
UNIT V SYSTEM LEVEL SECURITY
Intrusion detection password management Viruses and related Threats Virus Counter
measures Firewall Design Principles Trusted Systems.
9. Evaluation Schemes:
Assignment and Quizzes 20%
Mid Exam 30%
Final Exam 50%

10. Textbooks:
William Stallings, Cryptography And Network Security Principles and
Practices,
11. References:
Atul Kahate, Cryptography and Network Security, Tata McGraw-Hill, 2007.
Bruce Schneier, Applied Cryptography, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2005.
Charles B. Pfleeger, Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, Security in Computing, Third
Edition, Pearson Education, 2008.