Tecnologie e Sistemi per la Sicurezza LS 2008/2009

The goal of this 60-hour course is to acquire familiarity with the main issues and technologies related to the design and development of secure Internet systems and applications. To this end, the course aims at making students able to understand 1) the different aspects and nuances of security, with special regard to cryptography and digital signature issues and techniques, including the ability to practical master the related Java-based technologies; 2) the methodological aspects of implementing secure systems; 3) the main access control issues, related models and technologies.

The course is structured in two 30-hour modules.

• First module:
  • Security as a must in modern applications. Practical introduction to the basics of steganography and steganalysis. The role of cryptography and related technologies. The main approaches and use patterns of such technologies in the e-commerce scenario and in the exchange of legally-valid digital documents in the Public Administration and Government. Public key infrastructures and certification authorities. Tools and APIs for the development of secure applications (and applets) in the Java2 platform. The SE Linux operating system as a notable case study of secure operating system.
• Second module:
  • Introduction to biometric technologies. Password creation and related weaknesses: the way towards more robust passwords. Methodological approaches to the analysis and design of secure systems.
  • Security patterns and their use for designing and implementing secure systems.
  • Access control techniques: DAC, MAC, RBAC. Firewalls and web security.
  • Social engineering issues in the context of building secure systems.

Please see the course's web portal.

The course includes both standard lectures in the classroom, based on Powerpoint slides (whose PDF printouts are available from the teacher's Web portal before the corresponding lecture), and lab activities aimed at enabling students to verify "on the road" the approach and techniques discussed, as well as to test the effectiveness and the limits of the current technologies. Further exercises are also proposed, interleaved with theoretical concepts. Autonomous lab activities are welcome and promoted by suggesting ideas and possible test projects.

The final examination consists of the discussion of a project, previously proposed by the student and accepted by the teacher.

• The teacher's web portal ( http://edenti.deis.unibo.it) provides updated information, copy of the slides projected and discussed during the lecture hours, as well as some extra material and suggested books.
• The first 30-hour module is only available online, in the context of the E-learning project of Bologna University.