Reading Responses

Most classes, there will be one or two papers assigned as required reading (those sidelined in blue below). Ahead of time, each student will individually submit responses to the readings.

As a rough guideline, think about it as if you just saw the paper at a conference and were explaining it to someone in the field. What's the gist, what's the idea, how well did they demonstrate it, and what did you particularly enjoy/take issue with — these are all fine things to include.

Class HotCRP

For each required paper, submit a response:

  • The responses should comprise 1-2 paragraphs per paper.
  • The goal is not to prove that you read the paper, but that you understand the paper.
  • So that I have time to read them and give feedback, please turn them in by 5pm the day before class (5pm Monday for Tuesday classes, and 5pm Wednesday for Thursday classes).

08/28 Introduction

09/04 Ethics in Security Research

09/06 Cryptography Intro / TLS

09/11 The Certificate Ecosystem

09/13 Crypto Failures in Practice

09/18 Building Anonymity

09/20 Breaking Anonymity

09/25 Censorship Resistance

09/27 Botnets

10/02 User Authentication

10/04 Usable Security

10/09 Underground Economies

10/11 Project Proposals

No papers

10/16 Classic Memory Attacks/Defenses

10/18 Modern Memory Attacks

10/23 Modern Memory Defenses

10/02 Isolation Defenses

10/30 Classic Web Security

11/01 Modern Web Security

11/06 Isolation Attacks

11/08 Malware

11/13 Networking Intro

11/15 TCP/IP Security

11/20 Worms

11/22 Thanksgiving Break

No papers

11/27 DoS Attacks

11/29 DoS Defenses

12/04 Project Presentations

No papers

12/06 Project Presentations

No papers

Web Accessibility