OVERVIEW

The class aims at giving the students the basic knowledge about the main aspects and technologies involved in the network and telecommunication security, including short summaries about privacy management and blockchain technologies. Although the largest part of the course is focused on the network and telecommunication security, most of the concepts and techniques included are relevant also for the computer security contest, which is, in any case, briefly introduced and discussed too.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Cyber Security concepts: terms, requirements, mechanisms, attacks and architectures and models. Cryptography techniques: Symmetric Ciphers, Asymmetric Ciphers, Hash functions. Data integrity and Digital Signature. Protocols for secure communications: link layer, network layer, transport layer. Basic elements of computer security. A summary on blockchain technologies. Privacy and GDPR : a survey. Practical attack examples.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The main goal of the classes is to provide knowledge on the relevant aspects and techniques for realizing secure network/communication services. The main structure of the course is organized into three parts.

The first part is dedicated to the general concepts in terms of security architectures, models, services, and essential technologies and tools. These last include the different encryption technologies (classical, symmetric (block and stream techniques) , public-private) the secure hash functions, the secure random number generators, the technologies for the assurance of the data integrity, the mechanisms for the digital signatures, and finally the techniques for user authentication and key distribution.

The second part introduces and describes the leading security protocols used in the different network layers, i.e., WIFI security standards for the link layer, the IP-SEC protocol in the network layer, The SSL-TSL suite at the transport layer.

Finally, the last part includes a few additional arguments. More specifically, it presents a survey about computer security, a summary of the blockchain technologies, a high-level view of the privacy problem and GDPR, and possibly few practical examples of simple vulnerabilities.

PREREQUISITES

The following arguments represents the minimum knowledge required to the students for following the course in an effective way: 

• Basic concepts of data networking, 
• Circuit and packet switching
• Functional architectures
  • ISO OSI architecture
  • TCP/IP architecture, 
• Physical layer main characteristics (cables, optical fiber)
• Data layer basic characteristics
  • Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 protocol
  • Layer 2 bridging/switching
  • WiFi
• IPv4 basic concepts including routing algorithms and protocols.
• TCP/UDP basic knowledge.

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures and possibly few laboratory experimental activities. Lesson and supporting materials are in English.

This academic year (2020-21), due to pandemic, the lectures will be realized online using MS-TEAMS.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Course material on Aulaweb: copy of all lecture slides
2. W. Stallings, Cryptography and Network Security – Principles and Practice (7th Edition), Pearson, 2017
3. C. Koufman, R. Perlmon, M. Speciner, Network Security – Private Communications in a Public World (2nd Edition), Prectice Hall, 2002

Exam Board

RAFFAELE BOLLA (President)

FRANCO DAVOLI

ROBERTO BRUSCHI

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures and possibly few laboratory experimental activities. Lesson and supporting materials are in English.

This academic year (2020-21), due to pandemic, the lectures will be realized online using MS-TEAMS.

Exam description

The exam is an oral discussion.

Assessment methods

Oral exam evaluation.

Exam schedule