SRA 221: Overview of Information Security
Overview
SRA 221 focuses on providing an understanding of the overview of information security. Students will learn the principles of information security, including information security fundamentals, cryptography and encryption authentication, network/software/web security, as well as AI security and data privacy. Students will develop the skills necessary to formulate and address the security needs of enterprise and personal environments.
Prerequisites
- SRA 111
- IST 140 or CMPSC 101 or CMPSC 121
Logistics
- Time: Tuesday/Thursday 04:35 - 05:50PM
- Location: Willard Bldg 258
- Course Website: https://jinghuichen.github.io/SRA221-24Fall/
- Canvas: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2348104
Instructor Team
- Instructor: Jinghui Chen (Email: jzc5917 at psu dot edu)
-
Office hours: Tue 2-3pm @Westgate E380
- TA: Tianrong Zhang (Email: tbz5156@psu.edu)
- Office hours: Thu 8-9pm @Zoom https://psu.zoom.us/j/2211888631
- IA: Anurag Vankadara (Email: vja5158@psu.edu)
- Office hours: Mon 2-3pm & Wed 4-5pm @Westgate E301
Course Materials
- Recommended (not required):
- Mark Stamp: Information Security: Principles and Practice, Third Edition
- Charles Pfleeger, Shari Pfleeger, Jonathan Margulies : Security in Computing, Fifth Edition.
- Required: Lab Access - Purchasing Cyrin Lab Access is required the first week of class. Your instructor will advise you on the process which consists of creating a Cyrin account and paying for access via Debit or Credit card. The current access fee is $77.50 for all labs used in the course.
Grading Policy
Grades will be computed based on the following factors:
- Labs 25%
- Homework & Lab Assessment 25%
- Exams 20%
- Group Project 20%
- Quiz & Attendance 10%
Final grade cutoff:
- A [93%, 100%]
- A- [90%, 93%)
- B+ [87%, 90%)
- B [83%, 87%)
- B- [80%, 83%)
- C+ [77%, 80%)
- C [70%, 77%)
- D [60%, 70%)
- F [0%, 60%)
Schedule
| # | Date | Topics | Due Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08/27/24 | Course Introduction | |
| 2 | 08/29/24 | Security Problems | |
| 3 | 09/03/24 | Intro to Lab Environments | |
| 4 | 09/05/24 | Security Principles | Lab 1 & Assessment Due |
| 5 | 09/10/24 | Web Security | |
| 6 | 09/12/24 | Software Security | Lab 2 & Assessment Due |
| 7 | 09/17/24 | Attack Types 1 | |
| 8 | 09/19/24 | Attack Types 2 | Lab 3 & Assessment Due |
| 9 | 09/24/24 | Exam 1 Review | |
| 10 | 09/26/24 | Exam 1 | |
| 11 | 10/01/24 | Cryptography Basics 1 | Lab 4 & Assessment Due |
| 12 | 10/03/24 | Cryptography Basics 2 | |
| 13 | 10/08/24 | Cryptography Basics 3 | |
| 14 | 10/10/24 | Symmetric Cryptography 1 | HW 1 Due |
| 15 | 10/15/24 | Symmetric Cryptography 2 | |
| 16 | 10/17/24 | Pub Key Cryptography 1 | |
| 17 | 10/22/24 | Pub Key Cryptography 2 | |
| 18 | 10/24/24 | Pub Key Infra | HW 2 Due |
| 19 | 10/29/24 | Exam 2 Review | |
| 20 | 10/31/24 | Exam 2 | |
| 21 | 11/05/24 | Network Security | Final Project Proposal |
| 22 | 11/07/24 | Lab Walk Through | |
| 23 | 11/12/24 | Access Control 1 | Lab 5 & Assessment Due |
| 24 | 11/14/24 | Access Control 2 | |
| 25 | 11/19/24 | AI and Security 1 | Lab 6 & Assessment Due |
| 26 | 11/21/24 | AI and Security 2 | |
| - | 11/26/24 | THANKSGIVING | |
| - | 11/28/24 | THANKSGIVING | |
| 27 | 12/03/24 | Data Privacy 1 | |
| 28 | 12/05/24 | Data Privacy 2 | Lab 7 & Assessment Due |
| 29 | 12/10/24 | Final Project Presentation 1 | |
| 30 | 12/12/24 | Final Project Presentation 2 | |
| - | 12/16/24 | Final Project Report Due |
The instructor reserves the right to make any changes.
Attendance
- Attendance is important for this course. We will use regular in-class quizzes or questionnaires to check attendance.
Group Project
- Everyone in this class is expected to explore some special topics in information security beyond the content of this class (or an extension of what is covered in class).
- It is expected to be done by 2-3 people groups (no larger than 3).
- The topic of the project can be:
- A cool demo of applying information security in real-world applications.
- A nice introduction towards new emerging security topics (e.g., blockchain, decentralized computing, differential privacy, stenography, cloud encryption, zero-knowlodge proof, LLM security etc.)
- An interesting project demonstrates the importance of protecting information security.
Late Submission Policy
- All assignments are due on the due date at 11:59 pm (EST).
- Students can submit late with the penalty of 10% deduction for every 24 hours late (up to 4 days).
- After 4 days, no more late submission is allowed.
- Extensions can be granted for special cases (email the instructor)
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT
Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University’s Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students’ dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.
Academic integrity includes a commitment by all members of the University community not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.
DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contact information for every Penn State campus (http://equity.psu.edu/sdr/disability-coordinator). For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website (http://equity.psu.edu/sdr/).
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: See documentation guidelines (http://equity.psu.edu/sdr/guidelines). If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES STATEMENT
Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being. The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity and sexual orientation.
Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park (CAPS) (http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/): 814-863-0395
Counseling and Psychological Services at Commonwealth Campuses (https://senate.psu.edu/faculty/counseling-services-at-commonwealth-campuses/)
Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 877-229-6400 Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741
EDUCATIONAL EQUITY/REPORT BIAS STATEMENTS
Consistent with University Policy AD29, students who believe they have experienced or observed a hate crime, an act of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment that occurs at Penn State are urged to report these incidents as outlined on the University’s Report Bias webpage (http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/)