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Homework 6 - Security and Privacy Presentations

For this homework assignment, you will be providing an oral presentation to your peers in the networking class.

What do I need to do?

  1. Pick a single topic related to either network privacy or security that has been in the news in 2009, 2010 or 2011.
  2. Talk to or email the instructor for topic approval by posted deadline
    1. Provide a 3-sentence summary of your proposed topic
      Topic approval will prevent overlap in topics
  3. Read about your chosen topic and understand it in detail
    1. You should know more detail than what is actually covered in your presentation.  After all, your peers or the instructor might ask a question at the end of the presentation...
  4. Prepare a presentation for the class.  You should provide enough detail and background information such that your peers (other students in the class) are able to understand and appreciate your presentation.
    1. The presentation length should be 8-9 minutes plus 1 minute for questions.
    2. You should provide 4-6 PowerPoint slides -or- use the whiteboard during the presentation to convey useful figures and diagrams. (Some of your peers are visual learners, not auditory learners, and will better appreciate your presentation by viewing a figure instead of listening to your words).
  5. Upload your PowerPoint / PDF slides to the Sakai site by the posted deadline (midnight the day before). They will be assembled into a single file on the instructor machine, so we don't need to switch laptops during the class. (and you don't need to bring your own).
  6. Present! (during normal class time)

 

Grading Breakdown

 

Examples of Possible Topics

(Do not feel limited by this list!  Feel free to suggest your own topics!)

  • EverCookie (persistent cookies)
  • DNSsec (encrypted DNS starting at the root name servers)
  • IPv6 and security - What does it make easier? What does it make harder?
  • Cross-site scripting (XSS) - Why is this a problem?
  • Privacy within social media sites
  • Tor (anonymity network) and "Onion routing"
  • FreeNet - decentralized, distributed data store
  • WikiLeaks - Who are they? Arguments of proponents and opponents?
  • Future internet designs - How can we make the Internet more secure?  New architectures...
  • Cloud Computing and security implications
  • Any one of numerous examples of malicious activity:
    • Spam - particular spam rings?
    • Viruses / Worms / Trojans - pick one that is network-related
    • Malware / spyware - pick one that is network-related
    • Phishing attacks - Lots of attacks on social media sites
    • DDoS attacks - Who is the latest victim? What was the largest attack in the past?
    • DNS cache poisoning or DNS cache hijacking - What is the last victim? How do these attacks work?
    • ARP cache poisoning or spoofing
    • Botnets
    • Keystroke loggers
    • Man-in-the-middle attacks
    • etc...