Term Project

Why a Project?

This course covers a very large discipline, andperhaps more so than many other areas of computer sciencethe discipline of computer security runs through many other areas. Because the class has a very limited amount of time, we will only touch the surface of many topics. The project is to give you an opportunity to explore one of these topics, or some other area or application of computer security that interests you, in some depth.

The Ground Rules

The project can be a detailed research paper or survey, or a programming project that focuses on validating or working with some formalism. In any case, check with me before beginning to be sure it is a reasonable project and no-one else has chosen it. Please select something that interests you!

You may work individually, or in groups of up to 3 people (if you want to have more than 3, please come see me). Of course, the larger the group, the more I will expect from it!

Some Suggestions for Project and Report Topics

Below are some suggestions for projects. If you pick one of these, you will need to refine it or limit the scope of your project. You may also think of a project on your own.

• Develop a model of information flow through a network using the Take-Grant Protection Model, and demonstrate its utility by analyzing a situation of your choosing
• Present a survey of confidentiality models other than the Bell-LaPadula Model
• Develop a model of an availability policy, and show it can be applied to realistic situations
• Insert information flow analysis into a compiler or assembler and use it to detect flows that violate a policy specifying security/integrity levels for a program or system
• Build a run-time system that detects flows that violate a policy specifying security/integrity levels for a program or system
• Develop a covert channel analyzing tool and use it to analyze a subsystem or some other entity

What is Due, When

Please submit the following on the dates indicated:

1. Project selection: due on Wednesday, April 13; 10% of project score. Submit a brief (2 paragraph) description of your project. This should be the thesis, or goal, of your paper or programming project. Remember, even if you do a programming project, you must write a short paper explaining what the program does, how it does it, and what one can learn by using the program.
2. Project due: due on Wednesday, June 7 (this is the last day of class); 90% of your project score. Turn in your final project.

In all cases, submit the project to MyUCDavis as described in All About Homework. If a team has multiple members, only one need submit the material, and the others can simply submit a note saying who submitted the final project.