ISA 562: Information Security Theory and Practice

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Instructor

Mohamed Sharif, PhD.
E-mail: msherif@gmu.edu
Home: 571.333.8555

Mobile: 301.674.0973

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Teaching Assistant:

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Course Description:

This course is a broad introduction to the theory and practice of information security. It serves as the first security course for the MS-ISA degree and is required as a prerequisite for all subsequent ISA courses (at the 600 and 700 levels). It also serves as an entry-level course available to non-ISA students, including MS-CS, MS-ISE, and MS-SWE students.

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Course Prerequisites

· INFS 501, 515, 590, and SWE 510, or permission of instructor.

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Course Material

· Course Text : Computer Security: Principles and Practice, by William Stallings and Lawrie Brown

· Reference 1: Security in Computing, 4/e, by C. Pfleeger and S. Pfleeger
Reference 2: Network Security, Private Communication in a Public World 2nd Edition by C. Kaufman, R. Perlman and M. Speciner.

• Reference 3: Corporate Computer and Network Security by R. Panko
• Reference 4: Network Security Essentials: Applications and Standards, 3/eby W. Stallings.
• Reference 5: Cryptography and Network Security 2nd Edition by W. Stallings
• Reference 6: Applied Cryptography 2nd Edition by B. Schneier
• Reference 7: Handbook of Applied Cryptography by A. Menezes, P. van Oorschot and S. Vanstone.
• Reference 8: Designing Network Security by M. Kaeo – Cisco Press
• Reference 9: Internet & TCP/IP Network Security by U. Pabrai and V. Gurani.
• Reference 10: Fundamentals of Computer Security Technology by E. Amoroso
• Reference 11: Building Internet Firewalls by D. Chapman and E. Zwicky
• Reference 12: Firewalls and Internet Security by W. Cheswick and S. Bellovin
• Reference 13: The CERT Guide to System and Network Security Practices by J. Allen
• Reference 14: WWW.Security by R. MacGregor, A. Aresi and A. Siegert
• Reference 15: Inside Internet Security by J. Crume
• Reference 16: Secure Commerce on the Internet by V. Ahuja
• Some helpful Links: Material available at the Companion site by Stallings.

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Grading policy

• Weights:, Five HW assignments 4% each, Two midterm Exams 25% each, Final exam 30%.
• No exam make up will be given
• Late Submissions: Discouraged but allowed under exceptional circumstances with prior approval of the instructor.
• Incompletes: No Incompletes will be given. Except extreme case
• Honor Code Violations: All violators will be reported under all circumstances, and results in a course grade of F, in addition to any other penalties imposed by the university and/or the ISE department.
• Two students submitting a common or significantly similar copy of homework is a honor code violation.

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Course Administration

• Class Meetings: Tuesday 07:20 – 10:00 PM in Loudoun 1 RM 232
• Instructor Office Hours: by appointment
• Examinations: All Examinations are in class, individual (no collaborations), closed book, neighbor and notes.

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Announcements

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Additional Handout

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Approximate Course Schedule

Date	Topic	Readings from Stallings	Giving Out	Due in Class
Week 1 Aug 28	Information Security Overview	Ch1
Week 2 Sept 4	Cryptography	Ch2, 19 & 20	HW1
Week 3 Sept 11	Cryptography	Ch2, 19 & 20
Week 4 Sept 18	Authentication	Ch3, 4 & 22	HW2	HW1
Week 5 Sept 25	Authentication	Ch3, 4 & 22
Week 6 Oct 2	Malicious Software	Ch7, 8, 11, & 12	HW3	HW2
Week 7 Oct 9	No class (Columbus Day Recess)
Week 8 Oct 16	Exam 1 Malicious Software	Ch7, 8, 11, & 12
Week 9 Oct 23	Network Security	Ch7, 8, 11, & 12		HW3
Week 10 Oct 30	Network Security	Ch6, 9, & 21	HW4
Week 11 Nov 6	IT Security Standards and guidelines	Ch6, 9, 15 & 21
Week 12 Nov 13	Exam 2 OS Security	Ch10, 23 & 24	HW5
Week 13 Nov 20	OS Security	Ch10, 23 & 24		HW4
Week 14 Nov 27	DB Security	Ch5
Week 15 Dec 4	Physical Security & Human factors	Ch13 & 14		HW5
Week 16 Nov 11	Final ????