Network and Communication Security

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to network security fundamentals. It is organized in four parts. The first part covers the basics of private key and public key cryptography, including the common encryption algorithms AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), RC4 (Rivest Cipher 4), and RSA (Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman). The second part builds on cryptography to design secure protocols for confidentiality, authentication, and data integrity. Examples will include IPSec (Internet Protocol Security), SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)/TLS (Transport Layer Security), and VPNs (Virtual Private Network). The third part covers how cyber attacks proceed from reconnaissance to exploits and intrusions. Particular emphasis is given on web attacks (such as phishing, SQL (Structured Query Language) injection, drive-by downloads) and malware. The last part of the course will focus on intrusion prevention, detection, and response. Specific topics include firewalls, spam filters, intrusion detection systems, and risk management. Students will learn about protocols to communicate securely over unsecure networks, and about modern technologies for protecting computers from a wide range of threats. Throughout the course, real world cases are discussed, and students will gain hands-on experience in labs. This is a 3 credit course, requiring a minimum of 18 hours of course engagement each week in an 8​ week term, or 9 hours per week in a 15​ week term (refer to the Credit Hours Calculation Policy in the Student Handbook), Course engagement includes such activities as discussions, reading, study time, and assignments. View Sample Syllabus