ECE468 Networks and Information Systems Security

The main course topics are the following:

• Introduction to network and information systems security
• Attacks to software through stack exploitation
• Attacks to software through heap exploitation
• Attacks to software – Other vulnerabilities (format strings, off by one, numerical overflow, type conversions, frame pointer overwrite, fuzzing, reverse engineering, return oriented programming, return to libc)
• Attack prevention in software (Νo execute bit / Data Execution Protection, Stack Canaries, Address Space Layout Randomization)
• Isolation / confinement
• Principles of secure software systems design
• Elements of cryptography
• Applications of cryptography
• Web browser security
• Web server / web application security (SQL injection, Cross-site Request Forgery, Cross-site Scripting)
• Botnets
• Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks
• Firewalls
• Intrusion detection / prevention systems (IDS / IPS)
• Mobile systems security / Android

The course is complemented by a series of homeworks that allow the students to apply in practice the methods and techniques discussed in class.

After successfully fulfilling the requirements of the course, students:

• Can identify the main vulnerabilities at the software, hardware, network and full system level.
• Appreciate the mechanisms which allow seemingly benign bugs and caveats during the design and implementation of information systems to turn into exploitable vulnerabilities.
• Know and can apply common attacks (traditional and recent) which exploit the aforementioned vulnerabilities.
• Know and can apply countermeasures against those attacks / vulnerabilities.
• Can design secure systems following best practice.
• Can analyze the behavior of the system using scientifically acceptable methodologies and report their findings.