Computer Security and Privacy
Applied Computer Science · 3 hrs Lecture | 1 hrs Lab
Offered: Fall Or Winter, Every Year
ACS-4921 prerequisites
6 courses appear in this chain, up to 4 levels deep. Every route through it involves a choice, so nothing is forced. Unless you get permission, 2 more are needed: ACS-2906 → ACS-2947.
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any one of
all of
any one of
permission of the Department Chair
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Where ACS-4921 counts
Counts toward 4 more as one option among several, not as a course you must take:
Read from the departments' own calendar pages, where 50 of 208 programs are only partly machine-readable, so treat these as a minimum rather than the full list. Confirm with an academic advisor.
Description
This course introduces students to the security and privacy issues in computer systems. It covers the fundamental computer security techniques such as encryption methods, public key cryptography, hash function and signature schemes, key exchange protocols, authentication and access control models. The course also examines the applications of these techniques for multimedia security, intrusion detection, copyright and password protection, and protection from malicious programs. Privacy preserving techniques such as data aggregation, perturbation, k-anonymity and l-diversity, and ethical issues are also discussed. Students at the ACS-4921 level additionally undertake a comprehensive project on a topic related to computer security and privacy.
Requisite courses
ACS-2906 and ACS-2947 with a minimum grade of C or permission of the Department Chair [prerequisite(s)]; ACS-4921L (must be taken concurrently).
Restrictions
Students may not hold credit for this course and ACS-3921.
Cross-listed
ACS-3921(3).
From the 2026-27 undergraduate calendar. Always verify details on WebAdvisor or with an academic advisor before registering.