CS558: Network Security and Applied Cryptography
Spring 2015: Tues and Thurs, 11AM-12:30PM

This course provides an introduction to the basic principles and techniques of building secure information systems. The focus of the course is applied cryptography and network security. This course will train you how to "think like an adversary"---thinking about how adversary might attack a system by subverting and exploiting assumptions made during system design---and will discuss threat modeling and formal cryptographic approaches to defining and proving security or privacy. Topics in applied cryptography include encryption, authentication, symmetric key and public key cryptography, cryptographic hash functions, public key infrastructures, and may also cover more advanced topics including secure computation, cryptocurrencies and electronic payment systems. Topics in network security include web security and protocol security (including DNS, BGP, IP, TCP, and TLS).

No background in networking or cryptography will be assumed. The prerequisites are CS210 (or permission of the instructor) and CS237 or equivalent course in basic probability.