Computer Security

As computing systems become increasingly interconnected and more data are available online, the job of securing computer systems and protecting data becomes increasingly challenging. Computer security is growing into the cornerstone of almost every industry, which heavily relies on networked computing systems for communication and management.

Primaries

The primaries of this focus area consist of two introductory courses, and two courses on advanced topics. The first course (CS2107 Introduction to Information Security) illustrates how systems fail by looking into various well-known attacks, while the second course (CS3235 Computer Security) takes a systemic and in-depth approach in understanding the fundamentals. To fulfill the requirements of this focus area, students can next choose to acquire hands-on experiences, in a lab-based environment, on common attacks and protection mechanisms (CS4238 Computer Security Practice), study the concepts behind secure communication systems and data protection (CS4236 Cryptography Theory and Practice), and/or learn about strengthening software security through all stages of the software life cycles (CS4239 Software Security).

Electives

Students can also further enhance their skills and knowledge from courses in a list of electives, including courses on biometric authentication (CS5332), IoT security (CS4276), network security (CS5321), web security (CS5331), systems security (CS5231), and database security (CS5322). Through IFS4103 Penetration Testing Practice, selected students can work with computer security professionals to gain hands-on experience in uncovering security vulnerability in real computing systems.

In addition to these technical topics, students planning for a career as a cybersecurity specialist can also consider taking courses on other aspects of cybersecurity. IFS4101 Legal Aspects of Information Security exposes students to the legal issues related to information security, while IFS4102 Digital Forensics covers both procedural as well as technical methods in uncovering and handling digital evidence.