(1901758): Computer Protection and Security
Computer Science Dept., Jordan University, 2007/2008
Instructor: Dr. Imad Salah
Course Description: Computer security and basic cryptography topics, introduction to the
mathematical principles of data security, information security, various developments in security are
discussed, with emphasis on public-key encryption, digital signature, the data encryption standard
(DES), key-safeguarding schemes vulnerabilities, policy formation, control and protection methods,
and Internet security. (This description is the same as appeared in the computer science dept.
curriculum).
Intended Learning Outcomes:
The intended learning outcomes of this course are:
A- Knowledge and Understanding: Students should …
A1) Learn the basic concepts in computer security..
A2) Understand the advance d features in public-key cryptosystems.
B- Intellectual skills: with the ability to …
B1) Compare and analyze algorithms as fundamental tools of security.
B2) Apply mathematical tools to algorithm verification and analysis.
B3) Analytically recognize the needed security schema in relevance to some application.
C- Subject specific skills – with ability to …
C1) Work on case studies to show how all the tools are used together to build a complete project and research.
C2) Translate abstract ideas into practice.
C3) Implement and handle security projects.
D- Transferable skills – with ability to
D1) Possess good security policy.
D2) Develop advanced public key cryptanalysis.
D3) Choose the appropriate methods for public key generation of RSA algorithm.
Course Contents:

Course Introduction: Digital Threats,
Security needs, Security systems, Security Policy,
Symmetric Cryptography, Seizer Cipher, One Time
Pad.

Finite Fields Groups: Fields, and Rings
Modular Arithmetic, Euclid’s Algorithm, Finite
Field of the form GF(p), Polynomial Arithmetic,
Finite Fields of the form GF(2).

Symmetric key Encryption: DES Encryption
modes. Triple DES , and AES.

Number Theory: Prime numbers, Fermat’s
theorem, Euler’s Totient Function, Euler’s
Theorem. Testing for Primality, The Chinese
remainder theorem, Discrete logarithms.

Public-Key Cryptography: Public-Key
cryptosystems, Applications for public Key
cryptosystems, Requirements for Public-Key
cryptosystems.

The RSA algorithm: Description of the
Algorithm, Computational Aspects, RSA
Cryptanalysis and the security of RSA.

Other Public-Key approaches: The DiffieHellman key exchange, Elliptic curve arithmetic,
Abelian groups, Eleptic curves over real numbers,
Elliptic curves over Zp, Elliptic curves over
GF(2^m), Elliptic curves cryptography, analog of
Diffie-Hellman key exchange, Security of Elliptic
curve cryptography.

Message Authentication and Hash functions:
Authentication functions.

Digital signatures

Authentication servers: Kerberos

Hash algorithms: MD5 and MD4, Secure
Hash algorithms.


Web security: PGP
Intrusion Detection
Teaching methods. Lectures, Demos, Researches and
Projects, Seminars and Presentations, Invited Speakers.
Evaluations:
1- Mid Term Exam: 35
2- Project, Technical Report Writing, and
Seminars: 25
3- Final Exam: 40.
Textbooks;
Cryptography and Network Security, Third Edition. By William Stallings. from Prentice Hall.
A good overview of computer security in plain English from one of the leading cryptographic
experts: Secrets & Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World, by Bruce Schneier. ISBN:
0471253111.
References: Journal of Computer Security, IEEE Security and Privacy