August 24, 2008
Our first class on Thursday, August 21, was an introduction to computer security and the class. The first assignment was handed out. It is due ONLINE before class on Thursday, August 28. So far one has been turned in. Several people registered for the course were not there on Thursday. If you had trouble finding the classroom, it is on the first floor of Swearingen near the Assembly Street entrance. I now have a key! (Most classrooms we don't need keys for.) Thursday there will be a quiz on Chapter 1. At least two people have 8 am classes at the other end of campus, which makes on time arrival difficult at best. Tuesday we will discuss possible accommodations to handle time constraints. A more formal list of assignments and a semester schedule will be posted soon, but probably not by Tuesday.
July 16, 2008
Do you get unwanted email? Do you get annoying popups? Does your little sister read your personal files? Do you prepare homework assignments on your computer? Are you on Facebook? Have you posted a YouTube video? Do you download music? Do you know what to do when your computer crashes? Do you write passwords on yellow sticky notes? Do you use your nickname as your password? Do you buy things online? Have you every lost any files? Do you know what USC can tell people about you? Have you heard about the security breaches at USC?
All of the questions involve issues of computer security. If you use a computer, you need to know how to protect yourself, your information, and your computer. CSCE 201, Introduction to Computer Security, covers the basic approaches and tools needed to support computer security. We assume that you know how to use a computer for basic tasks such as email, web surfing, and document preparation and that you probably know something about security, or at least passwords. We do not assume that you know how to program. CSCE 101 provides appropriate background and is the prerequisite course.
CSCE 201 covers information security fundamentals, with emphasis on protecting PCs in a Microsoft environment by defending the system against common kinds of attacks and failures. There will be a lot of security terminology, but the emphasis will be on security tools and techniques, with extensive practical exercises. Some of the exercises will be done in class, so you will need to bring your computer to class on designated days. If you do not have an appropriate computer, we will make arrangements for loaners when needed.
The course text is Computer Security Fundamentals, by Chuck Easttom. The publisher is Pearson/Prentice Hall; the publication date is 2006. The ISBN is 0-13-171129-6. We weren't very satisfied with the book we used last year, so we are trying a different one this year. You might be able to find used copies on Amazon or elsewhere.
The course meets TTH 9:30 to 10:45 in Swearingen 1A20, which is a nice classroom with good computer support.
If you have any questions about the course, please contact me.
Caroline Eastman 803-782-8820 eastman@engr.sc.edu