CSC 519: Computer Security

CSC 429
Semester: First semester 1447H - Fall 2025
Course title: Computer Security
Credit hours: 3
Instructor: Dr. Iehab AL Rassan  [e-mail]

Office: 2179

Office Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

Office Hours: Monday 1 P.M –2 P.M, (This might change – always check my home page first)

Course website :Section1 (Sunday 1 PM to 4 PM) : https://piazza.com/ksu.edu.sa/fall2025/csc519sec1

                          

Course Objectives

The objective of the course is to provide a broad concept of computer security and a depth knowledge of selected topics. Discuss threat and vulnerabilities and the ability to distinguish high impact vulnerabilities. Describe the key objectives of computer security. Understand major encryption algorithms. Examine network security and possible threats. Discuss access control, identification and authentication.

Pre-requisites
CSC 329: Computer Networks

Main Textbooks
[1] Computer Security: Principles and Practice, W. Stallings and L. Brown, 5th 
Edition, 2023,  ISBN 9780138091675.
Additional Textbooks
[2] Introduction to Cryptography and Network Security, Behrouz A. Forouzan, 
ISBN-13 9780073327532, McGraw-Hill Forouzan networking series
[3] Introduction to Computer Security, Matt Bishop, 1st Edition, 2004, ISBN-
13: 978-0321247445.
[4] Security Engineering: A Guide to Building Dependable Distributed Systems, 
Ross J. Anderson ,3rd Edition, 2020, ISBN-13: 978-1119642787.
[5] Principles of Information Security, M. Whitman and H. Mattord, 6th Edition, 
2017, ISBN-13: 978-1337102063.

Course Content

1 Introduction to Computer Security

2 User Authentication

3 Access control

4 Cryptography

5 Network Security

6 Recent advances of Computer security

Grading :

Assignments: 10
Project: 15
Term paper : 10
Midterm: 25
Final: 40

Assignments :

- You have to post one question and its answer on the course website after every lecture. Also, you are required to evaluate someone else’s posted question and its answer from the previous lecture, giving score out of 5.

- All other assignments will be posted on LMS.

Note: Homework and projects are due at the beginning of class time on the date they are due. They WILL NOT be accepted otherwise.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

The students will be able to:

- Acquire a broad concept of computer security and a depth knowledge of selected topics

- Discuss threat and vulnerabilities and the ability to distinguish high impact vulnerabilities

- Understand the major encryption algorithms

- Identify and explain network security and possible threats

- Compare and contrast between various concepts and technique of access control, identification and authentication.

 

Expected Performance Criteria
The students are expected to solve theoretical and practical questions in tutorials, programming project, pass midterm exam, and final exam based on class materials.

Course Policies
• Students who miss more than 25% of lectures will be denied from entering the final exam.
• No late assignments will be accepted.
• Plagiarism and cheating in exams, assignments or project are NOT tolerated and will results in receiving ZERO in the activity and may result in FAILING the course. In such event, King Saud University policies on plagiarism will be exercised.
• Submitting AI-generated content in assignments or project is considered plagiarism.