CS4501-001: Privacy in the Internet Age, Fall 2022

Course Description

This course provides an in-depth look into privacy issues on the Internet and introduces privacy enhancing technologies. We will cover topics such as anonymous communications, traffic analysis, and security topics with privacy implications.

Prerequisites

CS2150 or CS3130 with a grade of C- or above. Some background in cybersecurity (CS3710) and computer networks (CS4457) will be helpful but not required.

Course Schedule

Tentative schedule. Subject to change.

Dates Topic Notes
Wed 8/24 Intro
Mon 8/29 Online tracking
Wed 8/31 Online tracking HW1 out
Mon 9/5 Network background
Wed 9/7 Network background Quiz 1
Mon 9/12 Network background
Wed 9/14 Scanning HW1 due, HW2 out
Mon 9/19 DDoS
Wed 9/21 (No lecture, TA session) Quiz 2
Mon 9/26 DNS attack
Wed 9/28 DNS privacy HW2 due on Friday 9/30
Mon 10/3 (No class, fall break)
Wed 10/5 Privacy issues w/ IP HW3 out
Mon 10/10 Anonymity Systems Quiz 3
Wed 10/12 Website fingerprinting
Mon 10/17 Censorship
Wed 10/19 Censorship
Mon 10/24 Censorship Quiz 4
Wed 10/26 Routing attacks HW3 due on Friday 10/28
Mon 10/31 Certificate/PKI
Wed 11/2 CDN privacy Project team/form due 11/5
Mon 11/7 New Internet architecture Quiz 5
Wed 11/9 ISP privacy
Mon 11/14 Policy and user study
Wed 11/16 Summary (and trivia)
Mon 11/21 (Guest lecture TBD)
Wed 11/23 (Thanksgiving)
Mon 11/28 Project Presentation
Wed 11/30 Project Presentation
Mon 12/5 Project Presentation Last day of class
Wed 12/14 Final report due

Grading

Late Policy

All assignments are due via Collab at 11:59pm on the due date.

Communication and Logistics

There is no textbook for the course that you need to purchase. We will distribute materials as needed.

There are several sites for the course that you can utilize:

Please direct all course-related questions to Piazza (or go to office hours). If you want to discuss other topics or have personal/team issues that can and should only be handled by a professor, please email me directly (ys3kz).