This course provides a one-semester initial overview on the topic of Information Security. It is designed to help the student of any major--undergraduate or graduate—understand this important aspect of their field. From an external perspective, it touches on the issues surrounding the private citizens’ concern for privacy, the government impact on laws and public policy, the importance of management and administration, and the place information security holds in overall business risk. Technically, the course examines the general dimension of providing security for information processing systems--secure operating systems and applications, network security, cryptography, security protocols, etc.
This course provides the student with a background, foundation, and insights into the full dimension of the subject of Information Security. This knowledge will serve as a foundation for future study in selected aspects of this important field or as an important dimension to their effectiveness in the broader computer science field. The primary objectives of the course are to:
The primary purpose of this course is to help you understand threats to your information systems and how to defend against them. The subject is broad and complicated. We do not have all the answers. Together, we will share our knowledge and experiences to explore, understand, and simplify the topic.
We will make intensive use of classroom discussions based on the basic text and additional reading that are assigned or which you discover. Homework and problems will be used to reinforce skills or understanding. You will be given many opportunities to express and defend your views regarding the impact of the subject on you, society, a business or organization, or the information system.
You will be expected to participate actively in discussions. On any given issue, you may be asked to summarize and criticize reading assignments from the text or articles that you have read.
| Assignment | Weight (%) |
| Homework | 25 |
| Article Summaries | 20 |
| Class Project | 30 |
| Class Participation/Attendance | 25 |
All assignments and projects are required for passing the course. Any assignment turned in by email that contains a virus will receive a automatic zero.
Discovery does not arise from instruction but from personal engagement with the controversies and potentials of a computerized society. You have to be in class to contribute to and benefit from that personal engagement. As you saw above, a quarter of your grade depends on class participation and attendance. In this class, engagement will take several forms:
On any given day, you may be asked to summarize and critique readings from the book or elsewhere for the class. On such occasions, you are invited to refer to notes you've made in response to the readings.
Homework and papers are due at the start of class on the due date, unless otherwise specified. Late work will be accepted, but penalized. Work not turned in by a designated cut-off will be considered completed and graded as a “zero” in numerical grading. All assignments must be turned in for a passing grade. Hardship exceptions to this policy will be considered and granted by the TA only before the assignment is due.
Although the most important thing to do in any assignment is to show that you have thought about the topic and gained some understanding, grading also takes technical format into account.
All written assignments must be prepared using a word processor. Each assignment's page count assumes a double-spaced paper set in Times 12 point font with the default margins of Microsoft Word (1.25" left/right, 1" top/bottom).
Each paper should clearly identify the author(s), date, and assignment number. If the assignment discusses an article, a proper citation for that article (author, title/headline, publication name, date, and page number or URL) must be included in the paper. In addition, at least the first page of the article should be attached. Photocopies are acceptable.