COMPGA19 - Philosophy, Politics and Economics of Security and Privacy
This database contains 2016-17 versions of the syllabuses. For current versions please see here.
Code | COMPGA19 |
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Year | MSc |
Prerequisites | COMPGA01 Computer Security 1 |
Term | 2 |
Taught By | Tristan Caulfield and David Pym |
Aims | Upon completion of the course the students are expected to be:
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Learning Outcomes | Key knowledge and understanding:
Key skills:
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Content
The course covers in depth major issues in computer, information, and general security related to the following perspectives:
- Conceptual and philosophical foundations of security policy and its implementation in systems’ contexts
- The political context within which security policies and their implementations are situated, including national and international security issues and the relationships between individuals, companies, and governments
- The design and implementation of security policy from the perspective of economics, including ideas and tools from areas such as utility theory, game theory, and portfolio theory.
Method of Instruction
One 2-hour lecture per week to be delivered by the lecturer(s), with occasional guest lecturers (e.g., from industry, government, security agencies) as appropriate.
Weekly tutorial hours, staffed by the lecturer and TAs, will support the material presented in the lectures in respect of the final examination and, specifically, will support the three coursework essays, the completion of which will require significant independent study.
Specific support with essay-writing will be provided for those students who need it.
Assessment
The module has the following assessments:
- Coursework (100%):
- Essay 1 (25%)
- Essay 2 (35%)
- Essay 4 (40%)
To pass this course, students must:
- Obtain a mark of at least 50% for the module overall.
Resources
Lecture notes provided in Moodle (Page ID = 28991).
Examples of slides and software used in past years: http://blog.bettercrypto.com/?page_id=1368
Reference books:
Antoine Joux: Algorithmic Cryptanalysis, CRC Press
Menezes, van Oorschot, Vanstone: Handbook of Applied Cryptography, CRC Press. www.cacr.math.uwaterloo.ca/hac