Teaching

CSCI 475: Information Security and Privacy

Overview:

A hands-on introduction to the principles and best practices in information and computer security. Lecture topics include basic components of information security including software security, cryptography, systems security, network security, cloud security, and economics and human behaviors.

Learning objectives include:

• Explain the fundamental security and privacy protection principles, techniques, and practices.
• Describe risk mitigation, legal requirements, and ethical considerations in cybersecurity.
• Analyze real-world security and privacy problems in modern computing environments.
• Use common security and privacy tools and techniques.
• Critique existing security and privacy protection techniques or studies.

Semesters taught: Fall 2024, Fall 2025

CSCI 588: Introduction to Human Factors in Security and Privacy

Overview:

As Bruce Schneier remarks, “the more secure you make something, the less secure it becomes,” meaning that we cannot rely on purely technical solutions for security. We also need to consider the “human factors” that affect the security of our systems. Human factors that affect security might be how everyday users decide which security advice to (not) follow, why developers still introduce vulnerabilities into their code, and how security needs may differ for specialized populations.

This course is centered around understanding the human factors that affect security and privacy. We will discuss research focusing on a variety of important topics at the intersection of human factors and computer security and privacy, such as the usability of various authentication methods, peoples’ perceptions and mental models of security and privacy, why developers struggle with writing secure code, and the impact of AI on security and privacy. This course will help students build skills to evaluate and conduct research in this field. The course is suitable for students interested in learning about security and privacy and human factors.

Learning objectives include:

• Identify potential areas of security and privacy tension: Identify potential areas of tension between users of systems and system design, especially as it pertains to users making secure decisions or ensuring their own privacy (project, discussions, homework, presentation)
• Design and conduct a study using appropriate methodology: Design an experiment using the methodology discussed in class to evaluate an unsolved problem at the intersection of users, the systems they use, and security and privacy (project)
• Communicate research effectively: Communicate various details of research (both your own and others) effectively; Details will include motivation, methods used, results found, implications of results, and limitations of the work (project, presentation)
• Propose potential solutions to real-world security and privacy problems: Propose solutions to real-world problems outside of class using the various research results discussed in class, especially for systems identified as being difficult for users to handle in a privacy- and/or security-preserving manner (homework, discussions)
• Critique existing research: Critique existing research in the space of human factors in privacy and security by applying the foundational methodology and ethics considerations discussed in class, specifically highlighting the resulting limitations and ethics concerns (homework, discussions)

Semesters taught: Spring 2024, Spring 2025, Spring 2026

CSCI 341: Computer Organization

Overview:

This is an undergraduate level course that covers the basic concepts of computer architecture and organization. This course provides insight into the way computers operate at the machine level. It is expected that students have have working knowledge of the programming language C/C++. Topics to be covered are as follows:

• Integer and Floating Point Number representation
• CPU Performance Evaluation
• RISC-V Instructions
• Computer Arithmetic
• Processor Design
• Memory Hierarchy

Semesters taught: Fall 2023