CS2DI17-Databases and Information Security

Module Provider: Computer Science
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring / Summer module
Pre-requisites: CS1PR16 Programming or CS1PC20 Programming in C/C++ and CS1FC16 Fundamentals of Computer Science
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Dr Martin Lester
Email: m.lester@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

The module consists of two parts.

The first part covers  Databases.  An introduction to the basics of relational database design, Structured Query Language (SQL) and some selected advanced database topics.

The second part, covers major threats and risks that affect the security of a network and the systems that rely on it (network security), and the major threats to data in both structured and unstructured form (data security).

Aims:

Databases provides students with the underlying principles and practical experience necessary to design and implement scalable, secure databases.  Information Security aims to build knowledge to counter the threats to a computer system and to minimise risks with technical mechanisms.

This module also encourages students to develop a set of professional skills such as end user awareness, software design and development, creativity, team working and personal development planning.

Assessable learning outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Carry out the analysis of a simple problem susceptible to solution using database technology;


• Produce a well-structured design in terms of the structural elements of a relational database;


• Design and implement a database application to solve the problem posed;


• Use the SQL language, including DDL, an in-database procedural language such as PL/SQL, and database triggers;

Information Security:

• The student will be able to:


• Identify ways of countering different types of threat;


• Produce strategies to minimise risks of security breaches in a range of network environments and data storage systems;


• Critically analyse the shortcomings of a range of security strategies;


• Describe and apply the techniques used to penetrate a Web application;


• De velop appropriate security policies and network architectures to minimise the threats from network intrusion;


• Understand the different types of threat posed by different classes of hacker and by different categories of malware;


• Describe and apply the principles of key cryptography and message digests in security protocols such as TLS;


• Apply appropriate access controls and authentication techniques at different levels


• Critically anal yse the security and privacy issues surrounding structured and unstructured data in a variety of different scenarios, with an in-depth focus on securing such data in Web applications.

Additional outcomes:

Practical experience in design and implementation of a relational database.

Practical experience of network scanning and penetration testing techniques.

Outline content:

Databases:

• Database Management Systems


• Relational database model (ER model, relations, attributes, data structures and keys)


• Normalisation


• Database definition (SQL - DDL)


• Transactions, concurrency and consistency (SQL - TCL)


• Database manipulation (SQL – DML, multipurpose queries, database population, views, stored procedures, trigger