Computer Security Basics

Course Information

• Prof. Burt Rosenberg is the instructor.
• Office is located at 223 Illini Hall.
• Office hours are MWF 10am-noon.
• Ning Guo is the TA.
• TA office is located at 009 Illini Hall.
• TA Office Hours: TBD
• Course Website: TBD

Course Objectives

• Acquire basic skills in computer security.
• Understand mathematical principles in computer security.
• Gain hands-on experience.

Course Topics

• Introduction to security
• Network security
• Cryptography
• Access control
• Operating system security
• Web security
• Database security

Textbook

• The required textbook is titled "Computer Security: Art and Science".
• The textbook was written by Matt Bishop.
• Addison-Wesley publishes the textbook.
• The textbook edition is from 2003.

Grading Policy

• Homework is worth 20% of the final grade.
• Quizzes are worth 20% of the final grade.
• The midterm exam is worth 30% of the final grade.
• The final exam is worth 30% of the final grade.

Academic Integrity

• All submitted work must be original.
• Cheating is strictly prohibited.
• Refer to the University's policy on academic integrity for further details.

Students with Disabilities

• Students with disabilities are advised to contact the instructor to arrange necessary accommodations.

Schedule

• Week 1: Introduction to security (Chapter 1)
• Week 2: Network Security (Chapter 2)
• Week 3: Cryptography (Chapter 3)
• Week 4: Access Control (Chapter 4)
• Week 5: Operating Systems (Chapter 5)
• Week 6: Web Security (Chapter 6)
• Week 7: Database Security (Chapter 7)
• Week 8: Midterm Exam
• Week 9: Project Presentations
• The presented schedule is subject to change.

Miscellaneous notes

• Students must be respectful of classmates.
• Students should participate in class discussions.
• Students should ask questions if anything is unclear.
• Have fun

Project Selection: Guiding Principles

• Projects should address significant real-world problems.
• They should have the potential for substantial positive impact.
• Projects should be achievable with available resources and time.
• Projects should explore innovative ideas or applications.
• Projects should align with the course goals, offering opportunities for learning and advancement.
• Projects should be interesting to students and should motivate them to engage deeply with the material.

Project Ideas

• Develop a machine learning model to predict crop yields.
• Create a system for plant disease detection and classification using leaf images.
• Design a smart irrigation system optimizing water usage with sensors and weather data.
• Develop a mobile app connecting farmers with local markets.
• Create a knowledge-sharing platform for agriculture.
• Design a drone-based system for monitoring crop health and detecting pests.
• Develop a model for optimizing the agricultural product supply chain.
• Create a system predicting food prices based on supply and demand.
• Develop a tool for assessing and promoting sustainable farming practices.
• Design a system for tracking food products from farm to table.

Project Ideas: Additional Considerations

• Interdisciplinary projects combining different fields are encouraged.
• Collaboration with external organizations or experts is also encouraged to access more data, resources and mentorship.
• Projects should have clear, measurable goals, deliverables, and evaluation metrics.
• Students should be ready to present their ideas and any progress to the class.

Project Proposal Template

• Project Title:
• Team Members:
• Problem Statement: Describe the problem you are trying to solve and its significance.
• Proposed Solution: Explain your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem.
• Technical Approach: Describe the technical methods and tools you will use to implement your solution.
• Data Sources: List the data sources you will use for your project.
• Expected Outcomes: Describe the expected outcomes of your project and how you will measure success.
• Timeline: Provide a timeline for completing the project, including key milestones.
• Resources Required: List the resources you will need to complete the project, such as software, hardware, or data.
• Potential Challenges: Identify any potential challenges you may encounter during the project and how you plan to address them.

Grading Rubric

• Problem Definition, Proposed Solution, Technical Approach, Data Sources, Timeline, Resources Required, and Potential Challenges are all grading criteria with a level of Excellent (A), Good (B), Fair (C), and Poor (D)

Chemistry of Reactivity: Reaction Mechanisms

• The reaction mechanism shows the various elemental reactions via which the chemical change occurs.
• These mechanisms describe in detail exactly what transpires at each stage of a chemical reaction.
• It is a theoretical conjecture that aims to completely and thoroughly describe what happens at each stage of the overall chemical reaction.

Types of Mechanisms

• Homolytic mechanism or Free radical mechanism
• Heterolytic mechanism or Ionic mechanism

Homolytic Mechanism or Free Radical Mechanism

• This mechanism involves the symmetrical breaking of bonds.
• Each atom keeps one electron.
• This break creates free radicals, which, due to the unpair electrons, are highly reactive.

Free Radical Reactions: Characteristics

• Initiation: Free radicals are often generated by the homolytic cleavage of a bond induced by heat , UV light, and chemical initiators.
• Propagation: Free radicals react with other molecules, creating new radicals that continue the chain reaction.
• Termination: Free radicals combine with each other, forming stable products and stopping the chain reaction.

Free Radical Reactions: Examples

• Halogenation of alkanes
• Combustion reactions
• Polymerization of alkenes

Heterolytic Mechanism or Ionic Mechanism

• Bonds break unevenly in this type of mechanism.
• One atom receives the electrons.
• This break produces ions (cations and anions) that are involved in subsequent reactions.

Ionic Reactions: Characteristics

• Polarity: Ionic reactions involve polar molecules and charged species.
• Nucleophiles and Electrophiles: Reactions occur between nucleophiles (electron-rich species) and electrophiles (electron-deficient species).
• Solvent Effects: The solvent can significantly influence the rate and outcome.

Ionic Reactions: Examples

• $S_N1$ and $S_N2$ reactions
• Addition reactions to carbonyl compounds
• Elimination reactions

Types of Reagents

• Electrophile
• Nucleophile

Electrophiles

• Electrophile means electron loving.
• Electrophiles are electron deficient.
• Electrophiles are Lewis acids.
• Electrophiles seek electron species and attack the site of high electron density.
• $H^+, NO_2^+, BF_3, AlCl_3, SO_3$ are examples of electrophiles.

Nucleophiles

• Nucleophile means nucleus loving.
• Nucleophiles are electron rich.
• Nucleophiles are Lewis bases.
• Nucleophiles seek the nucleus and attack at the site of low electron density.
• $OH^-, CN^-, NH_3, R-OH$ are examples of nucleophiles.

Intro. to Quantum Mechanics: Why Quantum Mechanics?

• Classical mechanics is incomplete.
• It fails to explain black body radiation, photoelectric effect, atomic spectra, and stability of atoms

Black Body Radiation

• Hot objects glow and emit light.
• The spectrum of emitted light depends on temperature.
• Classical physics predicts that the intensity of emitted light should increase with frequency, leading to the "ultraviolet catastrophe".
• Planck's Solution is that energy is quantized.

Photoelectric Effect

• Light shone on a metal can eject electrons.
• The energy of the ejected electrons depends on the frequency of the light, not the intensity.
• A threshold frequency exists
• Electrons won't be ejected below said threshold.

Photoelectric Effect: Einstein's Solution

• Light consists of particles called photons.
• Each photon has energy.

Atomic Spectra

• Atoms emit light at specific frequencies.
• These frequencies are unique to each element.
• Classical physics cannot explain why atoms emit light at discrete frequencies.
• The Bohr Model explains Atomic Spectra.

Wave-Particle Duality

• Light can behave as both a wave and a particle.
• Matter can have wave and particle behaviors.
• de Broglie Wavelength shows the duality of particles.

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

• It is impossible to know both position and momentum of a particle with perfect accuracy.

Schrödinger Equation

• The fundamental equation of quantum mechanics
• Describes the time evolution of a quantum system

Schrödinger Equation Types

• Time-dependent Schrödinger equation
• Time-independent Schrödinger equation

Wave Function

• A mathematical description of quantum system state.
• The probability of finding a particle at a point is proportional to the square of the wave function.