Syllabus for SSE 691
Software Security (Special Topics)
Summer Semester 2013 (13U)
Early version; changes are possible.
Instructor: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil
Office: Suite
223a, School of Engineering
Phone: 478-301-2185
Email: macneil_pe@mercer.edu
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Textbooks and Supplies:
Texts
(including web sites):
- Writing Secure Code (2nd ed.) by Michael Howard and David LeBlanc,
Microsoft Press (2003) ISBN 978-0735617223
(Required).
- Web Application Security, A Beginner's Guide (1st ed.) by Brian Sullivan and Vincent Lu, McGraw-Hill Osborne
Media (2011) ISBN 978-0071776168 (Required).
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Software
(including web sites):
- "Secure Programming for Linux and Unix HOWTO -- Creating Secure Software", http://www.dwheeler.com/secure-programs/
. (Required, but only for people doing this course in Linux or Unix. Note that Mac OS X is a variation of Unix .)
- tbd
- An Internet ftp client of your choice. Core FTP LE is
free and works well http://www.coreftp.com/
. (Required, but your choice)
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Other Useful
Resources (including web sites):
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Catalog Description (Course Purpose):
A course in software security.
This course begins on May 20, 2013.
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Course
Objectives:
Breadth and Depth in Defining, Analyzing, and Solving Complex
Problems:
- After successfully completing this course, you should be able
to demonstrate a basic capability to apply software security
techniques to solve complex problems.
Communicate Technical Aspects of the Solution for Complex
Software Engineering Problems to a Technical Audience:
- After successfully completing this course, you should be able
to demonstrate a basic ability to communicate regarding the
application of software security techniques to a technical
audience.
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Prerequisites:
SSE 550.
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Class
Location:
- The Distance Learning asynchronous "meetings" take place in
Cyberspace; i.e., on the Internet.
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Grading:
Item
|
Percent of Term Grade
|
Project 1 |
10
|
Project 2 |
40
|
Project 3 |
40
|
Listserv contributions |
10
|
Credit will be given only for
original work.
Project reports are to be submitted complete, not as incremental
partial submissions.
More information about grading is contained in the recently-updated General Project Rubric.
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Assignments:
- Purpose of projects:
- Use the projects to develop your capabilities, and
- Use the projects to demonstrate your capabilities.
- Deliverables for all projects:
- Your report should be a single, standalone document in
.pdf format.
- Your report should be organized in such a way as to make the
topics that you want credit for covering easy to find, and
demonstrate your capabilities clearly and convincingly.
Everything you want considered for credit, including code and
tests (including test results), should be included in the
report.
- Each project can be a single, integrated project that tries
to actually do something, or a collection of exercises that
demonstrate your capabilities but don't accomplish anything
else, or any combination of these two alternatives that you
find convenient.
- Screen shots may be included in your document to clarify and
demonstrate what you did and what the results were.
- You may include other material outside of the report, if you
wish, but this material may or may not be considered in
evaluating your work.
- For each capability that you demonstrate within a report or
major section of that report, you may present only the final
result of your work; you need not demonstrate every step in
the development of that result.
- Some suggestions for doing a project are contained in
the One Way to Do a Project page.
- Project 1 (solo):
- Skim the Tables of Contents of your two texts. Look into chapters
that are of particular interest to you.
- Based on topics/chapters of interest to you, plan your work for
Project 2. You can change this plan later if you find that
to be a good idea, but at least start out with a written plan in
mind.
- Document your plan; this document is your Project 1 report. It
need not be long, but it should have some substance and detail.
- Project 2 (solo):
- Execute your plan, and document the results of your next step
as your Project 2 report.
- Project 3 (team):
- Form a team (two people per team preferred, three may be allowed
with my prior permission).
- Plan your team's Project 3, and report your plan via the course
listserv.
- Your team should now execute the plan, and report the results
in the Project 3 report.
- Please raise questions and issues via the course
listserv.
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Additional
Information:
- Asynchronous Learning Nets (ALNs)
- Self Study: You study the texts and any other course study
material on your own.
- Collaborative Projects: After your self-study, you
collaborate (via the Internet [email, ftp]) with your
partner(s) to produce a team product. Your collaborative work
is substantial, asynchronous, and rapid.
- This course is a distance learning course. Please read this Distance Learning web page
regarding distance learning in this course and this program.
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What Do I Do?
- Subscribe to the course email listserv and be able to access
our FTP server.
- Study the assigned material.
- Write and read email messages (to the listserv) about ideas,
problems and solutions to do with the assigned study material.
- Do the assigned projects.
- Review the projects done by other people after you have submitted
your own work for the same project.
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Changes to this Syllabus:
There will be changes to this syllabus, so check back
frequently, and don't forget to hit "Reload" or "Refresh".
List of all courses.
Schedule
of Events and Assignments:
Start Date
|
End Date
|
Activity/Event
|
May 20, 2013 |
June 21, 2013 |
Course in Progress |
May 20, 2013 |
May 24, 2013 |
Work on Project 1 |
|
May 24, 2013 |
Project 1 due |
|
June 7, 2013 |
Project 2 due |
|
June 21, 2013 |
Project 3 due |
|
June 21, 2013 |
Course ends. Firm date. |
Notes:
tbd
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Contact
Information
- My Name: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil
- My E-mail: macneil_pe@mercer.edu
.
- My Office Phone: 478 301-2185
- US Mail:
- Dr. Paul E. MacNeil
- School of Engineering
- Mercer University
- 1400 Coleman Ave.
- Macon, GA 31207
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Important Additional Information:
"Students requiring accommodations for a disability should inform
the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon
as possible. The instructor will refer you to the Disability
Support Services Coordinator to document your disability,
determine eligibility for accommodations under the ADAAA/Section
504 and to request a Faculty Accommodation Form. Disability
accommodations or status will not be indicated on academic
transcripts. In order to receive accommodations in a class,
students with sensory, learning, psychological, physical or
medical disabilities must provide their instructor with a Faculty
Accommodation Form to sign. Students must return the signed form
to the Disability Services Coordinator. A new form must be
requested each semester. Students with a history of a disability,
perceived as having a disability or with a current disability who
do not wish to use academic accommodations are also strongly
encouraged to register with the Disability Services Coordinator
and request a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester. For
further information, please contact Carole Burrowbridge,
Disability Services Coordinator, at 301-2778 or visit the
Disability Support Services website at http://www.mercer.edu/studentaffairs/disabilityservices"
* (10/09)
Accreditation: Mercer University is accredited by SACS.