CS 546 - Computer System Security (Fall 2026)
Course Overview
This course will cover a broad range of topics in computer security. We will begin by learning the foundations of security through cryptography and then move on to more complex systems and applications, including web security, network security, operating system security, and AI safety. By the end of the course, students are expected to be equipped to think like an attacker: to identify potential risks, recognize common sources of vulnerabilities, and understand and apply tools and techniques for mitigating them.
Basic Information
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Instructor: Aarushi Goel
Class Time: 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM, every Tuesday
Class Location: FBO 108
Office Hours: 12 PM - 1 PM, Tuesday (HILL 418)
Ed Discussion: On Piazza
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TA: Yuheng Zhang
TA Office Hours: 3.00 PM - 4.00 PM, Wednesday (CoRE 340)
Email: yz1391 [AT] scarletmail [DOT] rutgers [DOT] edu
Grading Policy
10% Class Participation
30% Midterm (in class, Oct 20)
40% Final Exam (In class, Dec 21, 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM)
20% Homeworks (best 3 out of 4)
All homeworks must be submitted via Gradescope (on Brightspace).
Late Submission: Homework submitted upto 24 hours late will incur a penalty of 50%. Homework submitted more than 24 hours late will receive no credit.
Collaboration: You can collaborate with one other classmate, but the final write-up/code should be your own. Acknowledge the person you’ve worked with. For each homework assignment, the permitted online resources will be specified. Do not use any AI tools or other online resources unless their use is explicitly allowed in the homework instructions.
Academic Dishonesty: In general, any instance of academic dishonesty will result in a significant penalty to your overall course grade and will be reported for further action.
Homework Schedule
| Homework | Release | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Homework 1 | September 23 | October 2 |
| Homework 2, Starter Code | October 6 | October 14 |
| Homework 3 | October 28 | November 5 |
| Homework 4 | November 11 | November 19 |
Class Schedule
| Date | Topics and Slides | Other References |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 1 | Lecture 1.1 - Course Logistics Lecture 1.2 - Introduction Lecture 1.3 - Crypto (Confidentiality - I) | |
| Sep 8 | No Class | |
| Sep 15 | Lecture 2 - Crypto (Confidentiality - II) | |
| Sep 22 | Lecture 3.1 - Crypto (Confidentiality - III) Lecture 3.2 - Secure Messaging | Signal's Double Rachet Algorithm |
| Sep 29 | Lecture 4 - Crypto (Integrity - I) | Format Oracle Attacks |
| Oct 6 | Lecture 5.1 - Crypto (Integrity - II) Lecture 5.2 - Authentication | |
| Oct 13 | Lecture 6 - Web Security - I Review for Midterm | |
| Oct 20 | Midterm Exam | |
| Oct 27 | ||
| Nov 3 | ||
| Nov 10 | ||
| Nov 17 | ||
| Nov 24 | ||
| Dec 1 | ||
| Dec 8 | Review Class |
Useful Reference Books
Introduction to Computer Security by Michael T. Goodrich and Roberto Tamassia
Computer Security Principles and Practice by William Stallings and Lawrie Brown