November 2010 – Cryptography

I made a copy of the Prezi that you constructed as a class today exploring the security / privacy debate. I’m the only one who can edit this copy of the Prezi, so it will serve as a “snapshot” of the class-constructed Prezi. This way, even if one of you starts making some crazy edits to the original Prezi, everyone will still have access to the debate map we constructed in class today.

Copy of Math 115F: Security and Privacy on Prezi

Also, if you signed up for a free Prezi account, I encourage you to upgrade it to an Edu account for a few extra perks.

Here are links to the two articles I distributed in class today:

“The Case for Wiretapping the Internet” by John Foley, InformationWeek, October 15, 2010
“Web Snooping Is a Dangerous Move” by Bruce Schneier, CNN, September 29, 2010

December Office Hours

By Derek Bruff

On November 29, 2010

In Course Info

With your final papers due on December 14th, I thought I’d go ahead and schedule a few extra office hours. Also, I’ll be away next Monday at a conference, so I’m canceling my usual office hour that day. Here’s my office hour schedule for the last few weeks of the semester:

11/29 (Today) 5-6
12/1 (Wednesday) 1:30-2:30
12/2 (Thursday) 4-5
12/7 (Tuesday) 4-4:30
12/8 (Wednesday) 1:30-3:00
12/10 (Friday / Reading Day) 11:45-1:30
12/13 (Monday) 12-2

As usual, if those times don’t work for you, just email me to schedule an appointment.

Problem Set 7

By Derek Bruff

On November 29, 2010

In Problem Sets

Here’s Problem Set 7: Word and PDF. It’s due at the beginning of class on Thursday, December 2nd.

Clarification: The numbers s and t you find in Question 2 need to be integers.

Essay #3 – Big Questions Paper

By Derek Bruff

On November 28, 2010

In Course Info

Here’s your assignment and rubric for your third and final essay. The first draft of the essay is due in class on Tuesday, December 7th, and the final draft is due by noon on Tuesday, December 14th. I’ll take questions about the essay in class on Tuesday or via email before then.

Reading Questions for November 30th

By Derek Bruff

On November 17, 2010

In Reading Qs

Please read Chapter 7 in the Simon Singh book and respond to the following questions before class on Tuesday, November 30th. Thanks!

What do you see as the two most compelling reasons why strong encryption should be available to the general public, even if that means it’s available to criminals and terrorists?
What do you see as the two most compelling reasons that strong encryption should be restricted by law enforcement and national security agencies?
Singh, writing around 1999, makes several predictions about the role of the Internet in our lives in the opening paragraph of Chapter 7. To what extent have these predictions come true? Are there other ways that the Information Age in which we now find ourselves has elevated the importance of encryption among the general public?
On page 315, Singh writes that Zimmerman, through a friend, “simply installed [PGP] on an American computer, which happened to be connected to the Internet. After that, a hostile regime may or may not have downloaded it.” In your opinion, do you think that someone who makes a piece of software available on the Internet should be held at least partially responsible for what criminals or foreign governments do with that software?

Problem Set 6

By Derek Bruff

On November 11, 2010

In Problem Sets

Here’s Problem Set 6: PDF and Word versions. It’s due at the start of class on Tuesday, November 16th.

Resources from November 11th – Firesheep, Google Street View, RSA

By Derek Bruff

On November 11, 2010

In Resources

Firesheep

An intro to Firesheep from the ProfHacker blog
One expert’s opinion that using Firesheep is illegal
An intro to Blacksheep, designed to protect you from Firesheep
A report that Blacksheep is easily defeated, featuring a video clip of battling sheep
A post about the ethics of Firesheep from Eric Butler, its creator

Google Street View

Google may be in trouble in the US over its Street View Wifi snooping after all. Here’s some background on the Wifi snooping from the BBC back in May when the story broke.
Three percent of German citizens have requested that Google blur their homes in Street View.
Clark Boyd of the BBC’s The World reported on the brouhaha over Google Street View in Germany back in May.
And here’s an update on the Google / Germany situation from the BBC in September.
Some fun: MapCrunch, the site I mentioned that will teleport you (virtually) around the world using Street View; the mysterious horse-boy spotted on Street View in Scotland; and the “dead body” spotted on Street View in the UK that turned out to be a still-alive 10-year-old girl.

RSA Encryption

Please note that today and next Tuesday we’re working through various parts of Chapter 4 in the Barr textbook. If you have a copy (or want to use the one on reserve in the science library), you can read along.
xkcd on security
xkcd on Alice, Bob, and Eve
Handout – From Bob to Alice (Part 1)
Handout – From Bob to Alice (Part 2)

Image: “Fields of Fire” by Flickr user Digimist, Creative Commons licensed. (That’s not actually fire in the photo…)