Professor

Humberto Ortiz-Zuazaga
Office: NCL A-159
Telephone: 787-764-0000 x7430
email: humberto.ortiz@upr.edu
Web page: http://www.hpcf.upr.edu/~humberto/
Office hours: Mondays and Fridays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon or by appointment.
Public key: (f34a04b9380766789dccc008384aceb,9cc6724174889066a7e0d264b8245d39)

and

José Ortiz-Ubari
Office: NCL A-152
Telephone: 787-764-0000 x5280
email: jose.ortiz@hpcf.upr.edu
Web page: http://www.hpcf.upr.edu/~cheo/

Description

In the Introduction to Cybersecurity course the students will learn the physical and logical architecture of the Internet, and basic principles of information assurance. Through interaction with network clients and servers, they will explore why networked systems are vulnerable to cyber-attack. They will see how the five pillars of information assurance (availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation) apply to networked information resources. Students will explore basic techniques of how to attack and defend Internet resources. The hands-on techniques will serve to motivate students to explore in depth more advanced techniques, and the mathematical underpinnings of cybersecurity (discrete mathematics, cryptography).

Course objectives

  1. Describe the basic components of cyberspace (users, data, computers, networks, programs and protocols) and how they are vulnerable to attack.
  2. Analyze information systems, explain desired outcomes or outputs of an information system, and verify the outcome or diagnose failures.
  3. Identify and describe desired properties of information systems.
  4. Explain attacks on information systems, select tools to mitigate attacks.
  5. Perform basic reconnaissance, attack, defense and forensic analysis of information systems.
  6. Describe the role of users in the security of information systems. Analyze and explain how user actions impact security.

Topic outline

  • Introduction
    • Basic Concepts
    • Operating Systems
    • Computer Networks
  • Information Assurance
    • Basic concepts of IA
    • Cryptographic tools
  • Computer and Network Atack and Defense
    • Recon
    • Atack tools
    • Defense tools
    • Forensics

Number of hours/credits

3 hours per week, 3 credits.

Prerequisites

Basic UNIX/linux knowledge

Course schedule

Class will meet Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-11:20 AM in A-141.

Instructional strategies

The professor will discuss each topic, students will complete a practical exercise for each topic discussed in class.

Reasonable accomodations for students

Students with disabilities properly registered with the Office of Affairs for Persons with Disabilities Oficina de Asuntos para la Persona con Impedimento (O.A.P.I.) should notify the professor at the start of the semester. The professor will make reasonable accommodations to support the student, in consultation with OAPI.