Unit information: Introduction to Mathematical Cybersecurity in 2020/21

Unit name	Introduction to Mathematical Cybersecurity
Unit code	MATHM0028
Credit points	10
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6)
Unit director	Professor. Rubin-Delanchy
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	MATH11300 Probability 1, MATH11400 Statistics 1 and MATH20800 Statistics 2
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Mathematics
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

Unit Aims

Students will gain literacy in mathematical aspects of fundamental cyber security concepts, and gain the ability to convert these ideas into mathematical descriptions.

Unit Description

This unit will cover the following topics: how the internet works; computer security and encryption; vulnerabilities and cyber attacks; understanding the data; mathematical models such as graphs and point processes; probabilistic reasoning.

Intended Learning Outcomes

ILO1 To be able to qualitatively describe how computers communicate via the internet, and relate this to how it is quantitatively measured

ILO2 To understand how communications and computers are secured, and be able to describe how this is exploited by cyber attacks

ILO3 To have a high-level understanding of how mathematical models relate to cyber data

ILO4 To interpret applied cybersecurity reports from industry and academia and put them in a mathematical context

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught through a combination of

• synchronous online and, if subsequently possible, face-to-face lectures
• asynchronous online materials, including narrated presentations and worked examples
• guided asynchronous independent activities such as problem sheets and/or other exercises
• synchronous weekly group problem/example classes, workshops and/or tutorials
• synchronous weekly group tutorials
• synchronous weekly office hours

Assessment Information

100% Timed, open-book examination 

Reading and References

Recommended

• Daniel M. Dunlavy, Bruce Hendrickson and Tamara G. Kolda, Mathematical Challenges in Cybersecurity, Sandia Report, 2009
• FireEye, Annual Cyber Threat Reports, 2017 - www.fireeye.com/current-threats/annual-threat-report.html
• Verizon, Data Breach Investigations Report, 2017 - www.verizonenterprise.com/verizon-insights-lab/dbir/2017

Further

• Niall Adams and Nick Heard, Data Analysis for Network Cyber-security, World Scientific, 2014
• Niall Adams and Nick Heard, Dynamic Networks and Cyber-security, World Scientific, 2016
• Tansu Alpcan and Tamer Basar, Network Security: A Decision and Game Theoretic Approach, Cambridge University Press, 2011