Go up to the ICS UVa page (md)
Reading: Due to the rapidly changing nature of this topic, there is no assigned textbook – the best textbook on the topic is already 5-10 years out of date. Readings will consist of handouts, online materials, and articles (both media and scholarly). Much of the background for this course depends on completing the readings. Thus, occasional pop quizzes will happen to ensure that everybody is doing the reading (and to ensure that people are showing up to class!).
Purchases: As mentioned above, no textbook is required for this course. However, you will have to have a network card that is compatible with Aircrack-ng (https://www.aircrack-ng.org/) for one of the homeworks. If yours is not compatible (and many are not), you can buy one that is for about $20 via Amazon. Information on this will be provided part-way through the semester, in time for the appropriate homework.
Course Description: This course is meant as a general introduction to cybersecurity. It will prepare students to take any of the follow-on cybersecurity courses within the curriculum.
Availability: It is important to me to be available to my students, and to address their concerns. If you cannot meet with me during office hours, e-mail and I will try to find the time to meet. That being said, like everybody else I am quite busy, so it may take a day or more to find a time to meet. And if you have any comments on the course - what is working, what is not working, what can be done better, etc. - I am very interested in hearing about them. There is an anonymous feedback tool through Collab, or you can send me an e-mail (please do NOT email the TAs directly). I tend to get bogged down by e-mail as the semester progresses, so seeing me in person (right after lecture, during office hours, etc.) is often a good way to get a more immediate response.
Prerequisites: CS 2150 (Program and Data Representation) with a grade of C- or above. As per departmental policy, this pre-req will be checked, and if it is not met, you will be de-registered from the course.
Course objectives: Students who complete the course will:
Grades: Grades will be calculated by the following formula:
I expect that grades will follow the standard decade curve: 90 and above is an A of some sort (A-, A, or A+), 80 and above is some sort of a B, etc. Note: I reserve the right to modify the weighting (changing the curve, adding pop quizzes, etc.), especially if attendance drops off significantly. If this does happen, it will be clearly announced in lecture (and on the daily announcements slide set).
Assignments: Each module will generally have two assignments: a written homework and a programming homework. The written homeworks will be submitted as a PDF, and will consist of writing, math, and short programs. The programming assignments will have their source code submitted. You will need to be familiar with the homework policies (md), as you will be bound by them on the assignments.
Course rules: You are fully responsible for all material presented in class and on the required readings. Exams and due dates are scheduled in advance. A grade of zero will be recorded for missed exams and late assignments unless prior arrangements are made (see below for details) or there are truly extenuating circumstances (which will require appropriate documentation). Assignments turned in after the due date are penalized 25% per day (or fraction thereof) late; this means a maximum of 3 days (i.e. 72 hours) late. In most cases, you are free to develop assignments on any platform/OS you wish. Some assignments may require a specific operating system setup, which will be provided when necessary. However, you are responsible for porting your code to the system the class is using and ensuring that it runs correctly for us when we grade your assignment. Our reference system will specified for each assignment, but will generally be Ubuntu Linux. Some assignments will be graded by automated unit testing.
Disabilities: The University of Virginia strives to provide accessibility to all students. If you require an accommodation to fully access this course, please contact the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) at (434) 243-5180 or sdac@virginia.edu. If you are unsure if you require an accommodation, or to learn more about their services, you may contact the SDAC at the number above or by visiting their website at http://studenthealth.virginia.edu/student-disability-access-center/faculty-staff.
Special Circumstances: Students with special circumstances (athletics, extra time required on exams, final exam conflicts, SDAC considerations, etc.) need to let one of us know during the first week of class.
Exams: There will be two midterm exams (combined worth 30% of the final grade) and one final exam (worth 25% of the final grade). Note that we hope (but do not guarantee!) to have the first exam returned before the SEAS drop date.
Under NO circumstances will anybody be allowed to take the final exam early. You may ONLY request to take the final exam at a different time if you have a final exam CONFLICT, not a busy final exam schedule. Since there are no other exams scheduled during that time, it is unlikely that you will have a conflict.
Regrades: You may submit graded homeworks and exams for regrading within 10 days of when they are returned to you (less time for the final due to the end of the semester); this is done via the course tools. As long as people submit responsibly, I will not institute a frivolous regrade policy that existed in CS 2150 (if one is instituted, you will be told of this ahead of time). This 10 day time limit will be strictly enforced.
Missing class: In general, we are fine with you missing an occasional lecture or two due to illness, mental health days, religious holidays, etc. Since there may be random pop quizzes to ensure that you are reading the required material, please let us know ahead of time by submitting a support request (DO NOT EMAIL ABOUT THIS, as that email will be discarded). Obviously, for emergencies, you can’t know ahead of time, and it’s fine to let us know after the fact. Note that the Engineering dean has laid out specific policies for missing exams – specifically, you have to have a valid reason (actual physician’s note (not the “I went in to student health today” note), documented family emergency, etc.). Again, if this is a real emergency, we can chat about this after the fact.
Computing resources: There are two specific computer resources needed for this course:
Honor pledge: The UVa Honor Code is in effect for this course. There are two course specific additions.
Students are encouraged to discuss programs and assignments in general. However, helping others find bugs in existing programs, using another person’s code, or writing code for someone else is cheating and a violation of the University’s Honor System. Basically, you should not be looking at another person’s code for ANY reason (obviously you can after BOTH have submitted the assignment, or if there is a group project). This includes consulting programming solutions to assignments from previous years. This also includes looking up solutions online. Any honor violation or cheating will be referred to the honor committee, and will result in an immediate failure for the course, regardless of the outcome of the honor trial or your other grades. No exceptions! I am very strict on this, and one have successfully raised honor charges against students in the past due to violations of this policy - and I’ve blocked people from graduation because of honor offenses.
Your Well Being: The Engineering School proudly serves as a safe space for its students and aims to promote their well being. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or isolated, there are many individuals here who are ready and wanting to help. In addition to the course instructors, you can seek help through the Engineering Undergraduate office (Thornton A122), or Alex Hall (aec5d, 924-7601) who is the assistant dean of students for the Engineering school.
Alternatively, there are also other University of Virginia resources available. The Student Health Center offers Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for its students. Call 434-243-5150 (or 434-972-7004 for after hours and weekend crisis assistance) to get started and schedule an appointment. If you prefer to speak anonymously and confidentially over the phone, call Madison House’s HELP Line at any hour of any day: 434-295-8255.
If you or someone you know is struggling with gender, sexual, or domestic violence, there are many community and University of Virginia resources available. The Office of the Dean of Students, Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA), Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE), and UVA Women’s Center are ready and eager to help. Contact the Director of Sexual and Domestic Violence Services at 434-982-2774.
Topic coverage: This course will be split into six different topic areas, which are meant to be a introduction to a follow-on course that is available (or will soon be available) to take. Each topic area is expected to take 2 weeks to cover, and will have two homeworks. The topic areas are listed below. Note that the content and the order they are covered may change as the semester progresses.