ECE Cybersecurity Graduate Course Descriptions

Core Courses

ECE 8476 - Cryptography & Network Security

Theory and practice of computer communications security, including cryptography, authentication, and secure electronic mail. Topics include secret and public key cryptography; message digests; password-based, address-based, and cryptographic authentication; privacy and authentication in email; PEM, PGP, and S/MIME. Use of various algorithms.

ECE 8484 - Cybersecurity Threats and Defense

Malware and cyber threats; computer network defense; software for Data Protection and Privacy, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC); trusted computer systems and secure applications; identity and access management including biometrics; next generation security concepts.

Systems Specialization

ECE 8410 - Trusted Computing

Hardware security topics including embedded systems security, hardware Trojans, security in implantable medical devices, security in RFID/NFC, protection from side channel attacks, tamper resistance and crypto processor design, trusted FPGA design/JTAG, hardware-based cryptanalysis.

ECE 8485 - Critical Infrastructure Control Systems Security

Security risks of critical infrastructure systems such as electrical, pipelines, water, and transportation. Design and setup of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) systems. Security challenges and defense-in-depth methodology. Hands-on lab experiments.

ECE 8492 - Secure Software Development

Security requirements and design principles for secure software development. Security issues in current applications, database systems and web systems. Identifying vulnerabilities, their impact, and solutions to securing them.
Prerequisites: ECE 8484

ECE 8498 - Designing and Securing Cyber-Physical Systems

Cyber-Physical Systems include home automation and protection, connected vehicles, connected medical devices, drones, smart buildings and cities, and industrial control systems. Secure engineering of cyber-physical systems leading to a safer and more secure connected environment that also respects personal privacy. Improvement of security after deployment. Strategies for risk mitigation and emerging standards such as the NIST Draft Framework.
Prerequisites: ECE 8485

Policy Specialization

ECE 8488 - Security Risk Assessment and Management

Fundamentals of vulnerability & risk assessment to mitigate and manage security risks. Analytical methodologies for information security risk assessment, test and evaluation. Practical experience with case studies and defense-in-depth concepts.

ECE 8494 - Legal Aspects of Computer Security and Information Privacy

Legal rights & liabilities associated with computer security, information privacy; Rights enforceable by private parties; Liabilities associated by private parties and governments; Legal aspects of records management; Un-authorized computer use; Computer Fraud & Abuse Act; Trade Secrets; Economic Espionage Act; Civil Law Claims; Privacy; Export Control; Constitutional Rights; USA-PATRIOT Act; HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley; Digital Rights Management.

ECE 8495 - Cybersecurity Behavioral Analytics

This course teaches fundamentals of behavior analytics using statistical predictive models, system dynamics modeling and decision analysis to determine how cyber attackers choose their attack vectors, why victims fail to secure their systems and how network traffic reveals when attacks may be occurring. This course will provide a set of valuable tools to address underlying human behavior in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity field.

Operations Specialization

ECE 8486 - Ethical Hacking

Quantifying security in an unambiguous way using the Trusted System Evaluation Criteria. "Hacking" a system, developing and implementing countermeasures and threat removal, techniques for Access control, confidentiality, etc. Secure the network, web, enterprise and database, the Cloud and the Semantic Web.

ECE 8489 - Malicious Software Analysis and Defense

Malicious software detection and defenses including tripwire, Bit9, and other techniques such as signature and hash algorithms. Viruses, worms and Trojan horses, logic bombs, malicious web server scripts and software. Anatomy of well-known viruses and worms. Mobile code issues. Methodologies used by the anti-virus/spyware vendors and freeware.

ECE 8491 - Blockchain Technology and Uses

Provides a technical analysis of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and application areas. Learn the process of mining and signing blocks using Proof of Work and Proof of Stake. Analyze problems best suited for public and and permissioned blockchains for distributed applications.

ECE 8496 - Computer Forensics and Incident Handling

Introduction to the application of forensic science principles and practices for collecting, preserving, examining, analyzing and presenting digital evidence. The capture/intercept of digital evidence, the analysis of audit trails, the recording of running processes, and the reporting of such information. Selected topics from the legal, engineering and information-technology domains. Lecture, tool explorations and hands-on experience along with written projects.
Prerequisites: ECE 8476, ECE 8484