CS 4235 - Summer 2007
Introduction to Information Security

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Project Guidelines

The intent of this project is for your team to do independent research and demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of a specific area related to the class material.

This semester project is made up of a research proposal, the written project/report, and an oral presentation. It can take many forms. You may choose to write a research paper exploring some topic related to the class, develop a programming project, create a security application program, develop a comprehensive WWW reference page on a topic, or you may choose your own form and substance. Topic abstracts and web sites from previous semesters can be found at these class web site links:

Research Proposals

Research proposals are due no later than the beginning of class on June 14, 2007.

Your team must submit a hard copy (not handwritten) description of what you propose to do for your project or paper. This proposal should be 4 to 6 pages, and include at least:

  • The title and description of the topic (what you intend to research)
  • Members of your team involved in the project
  • Preliminary citations to papers, books, programs, or URLs that you have consulted in exploring or designing your project
  • A description of your project plan, including a description of how the
  • work will be divided among the team members

This proposal is an important document. Write it carefully, use good grammar, and spell-check the document.

The research proposal will be worth 120 points of your final project grade; 60 points for content and 60 points for form (style, looks, and mechanics).

Projects / Papers

Projects/papers are due by the end of the class period on July 17, 2007. The TA will provide specific guidance on the form of the project turn-in.

The total score for the project/report is worth 360 points; 60 for research and sources used, 120 for writing style and mechanics, and 180 points for organization and presentation of content.

The following paragraphs are guidelines for the different project options.

Research Paper

You may write a comprehensive survey paper on some topic related to cryptography, cryptanalysis, computer security, network security, privacy, computer crime, or communications security. The paper should be similar to a paper in ACM Computing Surveys. You should analyze the work done by others on the topic, including a summary of points yet to be addressed by research. Each project must include appropriate citations to appropriate literature.

Your paper should be in proper style, use proper grammar, and be carefully researched and phrased. The format will be 12-point type, single spaced, with 1-inch margins. Your paper should be at least 12 pages long, not counting the reference pages or diagrams.

Programming Project

You may design and code a project. Each project should represent independent design, construction, and testing. You must turn in a design document, commented source code, and results of structured testing. You must also include an overview and summary document describing what you built, how it works, where it might be used, and the conditions under which it should not be used. Indicate all references used.

You may code the project in any language you prefer, so long as it is able to run on one of the College of Computing computer clusters or a GT networked computer.

Grading standards for programs will be established and defined by the instructors and TAs on a case by case basis.

WWW Reference Page

This type project requires a report for grading, as well as the website that you design and display. You may choose to research and design a WWW set of reference pages on a topic related to the class. You must do background research and investigation of literature (on-line and at the library) on your topic area.

Your website should cover at least the following sections:

  • Introduction and terminology - Give a brief introduction to the topic of your page(s), and include definitions (with citations, as appropriate) for important terms used.

  • Pointers to good articles - This should be a list of at least 10 URLs for articles or other WWW pages on the topic, along with a description of what the reference is, and why it is useful. If you find good references at the library that aren't online, then include a bibliographic entry here without a URL. Include references to any good books you locate (you don't have to read them, but you can skim them to determine if they are appropriate).

  • Pointers to Expertise - Include here URLs for people or organizations that have some expertise or bearing on the situation and state why each entry is listed.

  • Software and archives (if appropriate) - Include a list of pointers to on-line software, archives of software, or other WWW sites that may be useful to the person reading the page and wishing to do more research. Again, each entry should include a few sentences describing the entry and why you consider it important.

  • Other - If you think of other topics and material to add, group them logically and label them appropriately.

Other Projects

We are open to other suggestions for projects, such as a Georgia Tech student survey.

Project Presentations

Each team will be scheduled for a 30-minute oral project presentation at the end of the semester. The form and content of the presentation is up to the team, based on the type of project.

The total score for the presentation is worth 120 points. The evaluation will cover the quality of visual aids, organization and content of the presentation, plus the poise and delivery of the speaker. Fellow classmates will evaluate the presentation.

Overall Project Grading

The project is worth 30% of the final grade for this course. The breakdown of the project grad is:

  • 20% - Proposal
  • 60% - Project/Paper
  • 20% - Presentation