Special Topics in Computer Science

Special Topics in Computer Science

MET CS 697 (4 credits)

The course MET CS 697 Special Topics in Computer Science changes from semester to semester. More than one CS697 can be offered in a given semester. Course descriptions for all sections are listed below. For more information, please contact MET Department of Computer Science.

Fall 2020: Topic: IoT Security
This course overviews the security issues in IoT. We will learn the IoT architecture, the interaction among the three major components of IoT, mobile, IoT device and cloud, and general threats in IoT. For each component, we will study the platform architecture, existing threats and countermeasures. Regarding mobile, we will discuss its platform architecture, followed by the security model and the common threats. Regarding IoT devices, we will focus on protocol (OAuth and MQTT) analysis and firmware analysis. Regarding cloud, we will first overview its cornerstone, virtualization and its security issues, and then discuss existing challenges in building trusted cloud platform. Finally, case studies of connect vehicle and smart home will be discussed. The course aims to provide foundations for students to understand the threats, vulnerabilities and defense mechanisms in IoT. Hands on lab exercises are included. Prereq: MET CS 695. Or, instructor's consent. The students are expected to have background on operating system internals and security fundamentals. This course is not a programming-intensive course. However, hands-on labs will be assigned. Students can also choose programming-intensive project.