Systems security

What you will study

To address the challenges of systems security, we adopt an approach inspired by Adam Shostack’s method for modelling security threats. For any given systems context, we systematically answer the following questions:

• What are we doing? – describe the system we want to secure.
• What can go wrong? – analyse the threats relevant to the system.
• What are we going to do about it? – evaluate the methods to secure the system and implement them.
• Did we do a good job? – assess whether the security of the system is effective.

The module has five blocks. Block 1 introduces the domain of systems security. This gives an overview of the other blocks and covers the introductory principles of those blocks. You’ll be concerned with the mathematics involved in cryptography. The focus of this module is the application of cryptography – how, when, and why. The emphasis being on the design and implementation of the appropriate cryptographic techniques to secure a systems architecture.

Block 1 – Systems security fundamentals
Introduction to systems security; modelling systems and analysing threats; fundamentals of cryptography; fundamentals of authentication, authorisation, accountability; fundamentals of operating systems and virtualisation security; fundamentals of distributed systems security.

Block 2 – Cryptography
Symmetric and asymmetric cryptography; applications of cryptography.

Block 3 – Authentication, authorisation and accountability (AAA)
Authentication protocols and technologies; authorisation and access control models, enforcement mechanisms, federated access control; principles of accountability including data collection, analysis, assessment and privacy.

Block 4 – Operating systems and virtualisation security
Security mechanisms for operating system functions; virtualization technologies and associated security mechanisms; designing secure operating systems and virtualized system architectures.

Block 5 – Distributed systems security
Types of distributed systems; peer-to-peer (P2P) systems and associated security threats; mechanisms to secure distributed systems.

You will learn

On completion, you’ll be able to:

• analyse cyber security threats for different digital systems, using systematic methods
• evaluate the role of authentication, authorisation and audit mechanisms, cryptographic techniques, methods for securing distributed systems, and techniques securing operating systems and virtualisation technologies
• implement appropriate security mechanisms to mitigate the threats posed in different systems contexts
• assess the effectiveness of different security solutions.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

Throughout your module studies, you’ll get help and support from your assigned module tutor. They’ll help you by:

• Marking your assignments (TMAs) and providing detailed feedback for you to improve.
• Guiding you to additional learning resources.
• Providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content.
• Facilitating online discussions between your fellow students, in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Assessment

The assessment details can be found in the facts box.