ECS 113: Computer Security for Non-Majors

Subject
ECS 113
Title
Computer Security for Non-Majors
Status
Active
Units
4.0
Effective Term
2019 Winter Quarter
Learning Activities
Lecture - 3.0 hours
Discussion - 1.0 hours
Description
Principles, mechanisms, implementation, and sound practices of computer security and data protection. Cryptography, authentication and access control. Internet security. Malicious software. Common vulnerabilities. Practical security in everyday life. GE Prior to Fall 2011: SciEng. GE: SE.
Prerequisites
ECS 032A/032AV or ECS 036A
Credit Limitation
No credit allowed to students who have completed ECS 153A, 153B, or 153C.
Enrollment Restrictions
Not open to Computer Science and Computer Science & Engineering majors

Summary of Course Content

  1. Introduction: security, assurance
  2. World Wide Web: browsers, computer viruses and worms, firewalls, networks
  3. Privacy: data protection, sanitization, encryption, secure email
  4. Society and Computer Security: e-voting, social networking, e-commerce, home computing, mobile computing (phones, smart devices)
  5. Doctors, Lawyers, and Regulations: electronic medical records, forensics, government regulations such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley
  6. How Do You Know It Works: analyzing systems, vulnerabilities, defenses, secure coding
  7. Cybercrime, cyberwarfare, and cyber-terrorism
  8. Miscellaneous: virtual computing, cloud computing

Illustrative Reading

A selection of handouts and books will be used and are to be updated regularly. Examples include:

  • Michael G. Solomon and Mike Chapple, "Information Security Illuminated," Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA (2005); ISBN 0-7637-2677-X
  • John Viega, "The Myths of Security: What the Computer Security Industry Doesn't Want You to Know," O'Reilly Media, Inc., Sebastopol, CA (2009); ISBN 978-0-596-52302-2

Potential Course Overlap

The content of this course overlaps some of the content of course 153, but is intended for non-majors. This course is less theoretical than course 153. The coverage of this course is broader, and goes into less technical depth, than course 153.

Course Category

Upper Division