Syllabus for SSE 692

Software Security

Changes Are possible.

Summer Semester 2008 (08U)

Substantial Changes Are Likely for Spring 2012 (12S)

revised June 10, 2008 3:07 PM Eastern Time

Instructor: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil

Office:       Suite 223a, School of Engineering

Phone:       478-301-2185

                  478-301-2732

Email:        macneil_pe@mercer.edu

Textbooks and Supplies:

Texts (including web sites):

• Building Secure Software: How to Avoid Security Problems the Right Way (1st ed.) ("Building"), by John Viega and Gary McGraw, Addison Wesley ISBN 0-201-72152-X (2001 or 2002) Check Out This Text at Amazon.com (Required)
• Writing Secure Code (2nd ed.) ("Writing"), by Michael Howard and David LeBlanc, Microsoft Press ISBN 0-7356-1722-8 (2003) Check Out This Text at Amazon.com (Required)

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Software (including web sites):

• TBD
• An Internet ftp client of your choice.  Core FTP LE is free and works well http://www.coreftp.com/ .  (Required, but your choice)

Other Useful Resources (including web sites):

• TBD

Catalog Description (Course Purpose):

Special Topics.

A course in the development of secure software.

Please note that this course is conducted *asynchronously* with regard to the face-to-face class meeting schedule. That is, the course begins on May 19, 2008, for *all* students.

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.

Prerequisites:

Admission to the SSE or ECE graduate program or permission of the professor.

Class Location:

• The Macon face-to-face meetings take place in the Engineering Building Room 216b. (Directions to the Macon campus, and a map of the Macon campus can be found at  http://www2.mercer.edu/Admissions/macon.html and  http://www2.mercer.edu/About_Mercer/MaconMap/default.htm [look for Building 34 on the map], respectively.)
• The Distance Learning asynchronous "meetings" take place in Cyberspace; i.e., on the Internet.

Grading:

More information about grading is contained in the 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 .html or .doc 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.
• 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):
• Demonstrate your capabilities in the topics covered in "Building" chapters 1 - 7 and "Writing" chapters 1 - 6.
• Project 2 (solo):
• Demonstrate your capabilities in the topics covered in "Writing" chapters 7 - 9.
• Project 3 (team):
• Demonstrate your capabilities in the topics covered in "Building" chapters 1 - 7 and "Writing" chapters 1 - 10 plus the other chapter(s) you selected (from either or both text(s)). Please note that you should not repeat your previous work; this is an opportunity to do things you have not done before.
• Please raise any issues via the course listserv. For example, people who are focussed on MS Windows may prefer to emphasize "Writing" over "Building", while people who are not focussed on MS Windows may prefer to emphasize "Building" over "Writing". We can probably work this out satisfactorily, but we need to discuss and resolve the issues involved in order to do so.
• TBD

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 with 100% optional face-to-face class meetings Please read this Distance Learning web page regarding distance learning in this course and this program.

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• Subscribe to the course email listserv and be able to access our FTP server; your professor can tell you how to do this.
• Study the assigned material.
• Write and read email messages about ideas, problems and solutions to do with the assigned study material.
• Do the assigned exercises.
• Write and read email messages (to/from the listserv) about ideas, problems and solutions to do with the assigned homework.
• Review the exercises done by other people, as assigned by the professor.

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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".

Schedule of Events and Assignments:

Notes:

tbd

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Schedule of Macon Face-to-face Class Meetings:

attendance is 100% optional.

All Macon face-to-face meetings are from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

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List of all courses.

Contact Information

• My Name: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil (Atlanta, Macon and DL Section)
• My E-mail: macneil_pe@mercer.edu .
• My Office Phone: 478 301-2185
• My FAX: 478 301-2732
• 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.  If you are not registered with Disability Services, the instructor will refer you to the Disability Support Services office for consultation regarding documentation of your disability and eligibility for accommodations under the ADA/504.  In order to receive accommodations, eligible students must provide each instructor with a “Faculty Accommodation Form” from Disability Services.  Students must return the completed and signed form to the Disability Services Coordinator on the 3rd floor of the Connell Student Center.  Students with a documented disability who do not wish to use academic accommodations are also strongly encouraged to register with Disability Services and complete a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester.  For further information, please contact Carole Burrowbridge, Disability Services Coordinator, at 301-2778 or visit the web site at http://www.mercer.edu/stu_support/swd.htm

Accreditation: Mercer University is accredited by SACS.

revised June 10, 2008 3:07 PM Eastern Time