CS 8803: Special Topics in Software Security

Time	MW 4:35 PM - 5:55 PM
Location	Howey (Physics) S104
Instructor	Bill Harris (KACB 2322)

Navigation

• Objective
• Structure

Objective

The course will cover advanced topics in software security. After finishing the course, students will be able to understand a paper on modern research in software security, and be in a position to write one themselves. Topics covered will (probably) include:

• Information flow languages and systems
• Static analysis for proving the absence of security vulnerabilities
• Symbolic execution for finding security vulnerabilities
• Browser security
• Side-channel analysis

Structure

Coursework will consist of:

• Two to three papers to be read per week. Papers are required reading, and students will submit a review of each paper read.
• A semester-long project. The goal of the project will be to have students identify a novel problem and, by the end of the semester, show that they've taken the first step to having a publishable result.
• A midterm and final that will review research topics covered.