Название: The Computer Security Workbook: A Course Companion ResourceАвтор: Juan Tapiador
Издательство: Springer
Серия: Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science
Год: 2025
Страниц: 178
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf, epub
Размер: 10.1 MB
Mastering computer security requires more than just technical knowledge of software, systems and networks—it demands analytical thinking, a problem-solving mindset, and creative reasoning. These skills are best cultivated through practical challenges and structured problem-solving.
This book presents a collection of questions and problems on a wide range of topics typically taught in introductory computer security courses, including basic concepts and principles, authentication techniques, access control models and methods, network security, software vulnerabilities, and malware.
Topics and features:
The exercises range in complexity to ensure progressive skill development—from foundational knowledge (e.g., defining and understanding basic security ideas and principles) to more advanced problem-solving (e.g., applying knowledge to analyze a security protocol, synthesizing concepts, making judgments about a design, or creating solutions).
Each exercise is accompanied by a solution intended to serve as a learning aid and facilitate self-assessment. Some solutions include historical notes and additional references that could be useful to readers who are willing to explore a subject in more depth.
The problems include practical scenarios and real-world cases, ensuring that readers understand how principles are applied in practice.
The content is organized into sections and chapters that are mostly self-contained, so readers can explore them in any order.
The material is flexible and can be adapted for various courses and audiences, allowing instructors and learners to select topics based on their needs.
The book is divided into six chapters:
• Chapter 1: “Computer Security Fundamentals” contains exercises covering basic computer security concepts (assets, the CIA triad, vulnerabilities, attacks, and countermeasures) and principles (fail-safe defaults, least privilege, and so on). It concludes with several questions related to threat classification and threat modelling.
• Chapter 2: “Authentication” focuses on user and device authentication methods. The problems are organized around three topics: general authentication methods, passwords and their security, and cryptographic authentication protocols.
• Chapter 3: “Access Control” presents exercises about access control as traditionally implemented by operating systems, applications, and platforms. The first part focuses on the theoretical models, including discretionary and mandatory access control and their implementation. The second part focuses on the practical mechanisms for access control available in Linux systems, including the basic permission system, attributes, and capabilities.
• Chapter 4: “Network Security” examines questions related to network threats and defenses. The first part covers basic vulnerabilities of the TCP/IP model and network scanning. A second block of contents is devoted to two fundamental network defense technologies: firewalls and the TLS protocol.
• Chapter 5: “Vulnerabilities and Attacks” includes problems about software vulnerabilities and their exploitation. The contents are grouped into sections: numbering and scoring vulnerabilities, memory corruption, input validation, denial of service, and miscellaneous attacks that admit multiple classifications.
• Chapter 6: “Malware” explores techniques used by malware and fundamental concepts in this area. The chapter also features several analysis problems that help illustrate basic techniques using mostly scripting languages that do not require the use of binary analysis tools.
This unique textbook/reference offers broad appeal: The exercises are intended to complement other learning materials and are tailored to different skill levels, allowing beginners to build a strong foundation while offering advanced challenges to more experienced learners.
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