The prerequisites for this class are a good understanding of imperative programming and discrete mathematics. You should be able to write non-trivial programs in C, C++ or some other language. You must have a good understanding of basic data structures such as arrays. This is a class on applied cryptography with focus on cryptographic primitives and protocols. There will be programming assignments designed to make you use, implement and evaluate key security constructs. You are free to do the programming assignments in any language; however, using C, C++ or Java is recommended.
The lectures will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from
10am to noon in John Greene Hall 216.
In order to get a door code for the Computer Lab in
John Greene Hall 216 please visit the labcode
webpage. The code is updated on weekly basis.
"Applied Cryptography", by
Bruce Schneier, John Wiley & Sons.
This will be the main textbook for the class covering most
of the material.
"Version
Control with Subversion", on-line book (no need
to buy a copy). You must know how to use subversion as
a developer (not as an administrator) in order to submit
your assignments. Use this book as a reference if you
encounter problems. Basic knowledge of chapters 1-3
should be sufficient.
Specific topics that will be covered:
There will be individual assignments where you will need
to answer some specific questions in prose or with
small fragments of code as well as larger
individual programming assignments that must be turned in
for grading by a certain deadline. There will also be
on larger team project. Both midterm and final exam
will be open book, open notes and open notebook exams.
There will be no quizzes.
Students are encouraged to discuss the materials, homework,
and projects together. However, all written assignments
and programs must be done individually. Academic
dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: plagiarism,
cheating in exams, unauthorized collaboration and
falsifying academic records. Violation of any of these
may result in a grade penalty on assignments, an "F" in
the course, dismissal from an academic unit, revocation
of admission, suspension from the University as well as
being roasted over a slow fire.
Generally, all assignments are due before class on the
date specified with the assignment. Exceptions to this
rule (allowing later submission) may be announced in
class.
The different kinds of assignments are weighted as follows:
| Assignments | 70 Pts |
|---|---|
| Midterm | 10 Pts |
| Final | 20 Pts |
| Class Participation | 10 Pts |
There are theoretically a total of 110 Pts possible Grades will be given as follows:
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| A | > 95 Pts |
| A- | > 90 Pts |
| B+ | > 85 Pts |
| B | > 80 Pts |
| B- | > 75 Pts |
| C+ | > 70 Pts |
| C | > 65 Pts |
| C- | > 60 Pts |
| D | ≥ 45 Pts |
| F | < 45 Pts |
You will need various applications for the class, all of which are freely available for various operating systems. Personally, I'm using Debian GNU/Linux unstable. If you have any problems installing the software, you can always use the department's GNU/Linux lab which has all of the necessary software installed. Here is a list of the software programs that you will need (possibly incomplete):
Each student will get access to a subversion
repository. Assignments must be committed to that repository by the respective
deadline. Students are encouraged to use the repository for version control while
still working on the assignment. Only the last version commited before the deadline will
be used for grading.
In order to access your subversion repository, you must first request an account
from Andrei for the course. Stop by his office or send him an e-mail.
Once your account has been created, you should do an initial check out:
$ svn checkout https://svn.cs.du.edu/courses/comp3704/s2009/$USER
$ cd $USER
You should then proceed to create a directory for the first project
and commit it:
$ mkdir p1
$ svn add p1
$ svn commit -m "comment"
Afterwards, you can add the files to submit just like you added the directory.
Make sure to commit the final version with all files (hint: svn status)
before the deadline. It is also a good idea to do a seperate checkout and
verify that the result works.
This is the current plan, significant changes will be announced in class. Feedback is welcome.
Grades will be e-mailed to the e-mail address given with the request for creating the subversion account. For how to interpret the e-mailed grades please ask in class or during office hours.