Welcome to the Practical Computer Security webpage!

The course is going to be comprised of:

• Five 1.5-hour lectures on basic topics in internet security
• Five or six small, fun homework assignments to solidify those concepts taught in lecture

Announcements

Thursday, January 15, 2009

• We hope you're enjoying the class so far! Here are some of the notes for the last few days. If you have taken good notes, we'd love to have them for two reasons: to see what people are getting out of the class and so that we have something to hand out in the future. Do email us. :)
  • Wednesday's Buffer Overflow Lecture
  • Wednesday's Buffer Overflow In-Class Problem
  • Thursday's Web Security Lecture

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

• Tomorrow we'll be learning about buffer overflows and how they work. Please read these papers for tomorrow's class; in particular, please read Aleph One's seminal paper on smashing the stack:
  • Smashing the Stack for Fun and Profit
  • Blended Attacks Exploits, Vulnerabilities and Buffer-Overflow Techniques in Computer Viruses
  • StackGuard: Automatic Adaptive Detection and Prevention of Buffer-Overflow Attacks

Monday, January 12, 2009

• First day of class!

Friday, December 19, 2008

• Please register for this class by emailing iap-security@mit.edu and providing your full name, username, MIT ID number, year, experience and background in security, and why you are interested in taking this class.

From the IAP catalog

Practical Computer Security
Michael Borohovski, Benjamin Agre
Mon Jan 12 thru Fri Jan 16, 07-08:00pm, 32-124

No limit but advance sign up required (see contact below)
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Prereq: programming skills, love of puzzles, or permission of instructor

A general introduction to specific problems in computer security. Students will use hands-on techniques to explore problems like XSS, cookie hijacking and poisoning, basic cryptography and cryptanalysis, etc. Fun small daily assignments. Bring a charged laptop if you have one.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/iap-security/www/
Contact: Michael Borohovski and Benjamin Agre, iap-security@mit.edu

Feel free to email us at iap-security@mit.edu