Cluster 4
Computer Security, Privacy, and Cybervillainy
- Instructors: Sean Peisert, Karl Levitt, Matt Bishop & Jeff Rowe
- Prerequisites: None
- Typical Field Trips: Berkeley Lab, Lawrenece Livermore, Sandia, SLAC, NASA Ames, Exploratorium
Introduction
Has your computer ever been infected with a computer virus? Ever wondered why you get so much spam? How safe is that credit card information that you enter in a web browser when you buy something on line? How realistic is that computer forensic stuff on television shows like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "Law & Order"?
These questions, and many more, will be answered in this COSMOS cluster. In it, we’ll explore what computer security is all about, and look at the principles underlying the technology. We’ll see what the “bad guys and gals” can do, and how to protect yourself. We’ll also look at why they can do these things, and see what can be done to eliminate the problems.
The course will also explore security in the Internet. Many of the problems are structural, because the Internet protocols were designed when the ancestors of the current Internet were a much more constrained, contained network with a very limited set of users. It’s a good study in what happens when society meets technology, and how the two mix. By the end of this month, you’ll have been introduced to the basic ideas, issues, and mechanisms of computer security. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll know how to read and interpret statements about security, and know what questions to ask to evaluate claims.
You’ll also have learned about computer security in daily life.
Core Courses
RISKY BUSINESS: USING THE INTERNET
• the World Wide Web;
• computer viruses and other nasty “silicon” critters;
• malicious software;
• common vulnerabilities;
• encryption, decryption, and digital signatures;
• privacy and anonymity;
• trust and trustworthiness, also called assurance; and
• a host of other things!
DAILY LIFE: COMPUTER SECURITY APPLICATIONS
• email;
• social networking;
• mobile phones and other devices;
• e-commerce;
• forensics;
• electronic medical records and e-medicine; and
• cybercrime and cyberwarfare
Modified 2012-01-09T20:00:00Z