COURSES

Douglas C. Sicker

Courses

Radios are becoming more flexible as more functional blocks are implemented in software. This enables the radios to adapt to different situations and to communicate using a variety of wireless protocols. This course will first examine the fundamental radio components and how these components are implemented in software. The principles of a software architecture to support the software defined radio (SDR) will also be examined. We will then look at the emerging concept of cognitive radios (CR), which build on the capabilities of SDRs by adding the ability for the radio to intelligently sense and respond to its environment. Policy and cooperation mechanisms that enable CRs to interoperate will be developed.

CSCI 7000 -006 Software Defined Radios

This course describes the fundamental radio components and how these components are implemented in software. The principles of a software architecture to support the SDR will be developed. Policy and cooperation mechanisms that enable SDR to interoperate will be developed. Software security and performance assurances will be studied. The implications for future radio systems will be discussed. A significant portion of the course will be spent in the lab implementing SDR using FPGA and flexible wireless building blocks. The goal is to teach computer science, electrical engineering, and telecom students the span of problems from hardware to algorithms to protocols and policy.

CSCI 6268 Foundations of Computer and Network Security

Studies methods to protect information, and the ability to process and move information, from theft, misuse, tampering, destruction, and unauthorized access. Introduces foundational topics of computer and network security, including security models, cryptography, and authentication protocols.

TLEN 5460-010 Telecommunications Laboratory

Provides direct experience with telecommunications functions and equipment through experiments and demonstrations. Students work in teams to learn the fundamental techniques of voice and data switching, and the fundamental functions of data networking and services. Topics range from LAN Switching (VLAN, Spanning Tree, Layer 2 security, Wireless LANs), Local access technologies (DSL, T1), Efficient IP addressing designs (CIDR,VLSM), LAN Routing (RIP, OSPF), WAN Remote Access Technologies (ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM), VPN architectures (IPSec, MPLS VPN) and VoIP services (SIP, Skinny and H323). Students must then complete a research project on an advanced topic such as (IPv6, Multicast, QoS (DiffServ, RSVP, CoS), L2 & L3 Queuing Mechanisms, Firewall Security, and others), to complete their coursework. Each experiment is designed to focus on some particular aspect of systems management, development, or maintenance for either enterprise telecommunications customers or telecommunication service providers.

TLEN 5530 Applied Network Security

Examines the critical aspects of network security. This course presents a technical discussion of threats, vulnerabilities, detection, and prevention. Issues addressed are cryptography, firewalls, network protocols, intrusion detection, security architecture, security policy, forensic investigation, privacy, and the law. Students can expect to gain a working knowledge of the critical areas of security that large networks face today.

TLEN5839-00x Signaling Protocols

Signaling in this context is the exchange of information associated with the establishment and control of a connection. Students will gain an understanding of modern signaling systems, especially SIP and VoIP. Students will gain an appreciation of actually implementing signaling systems in the Internet Protocol environment.

TLEN 5540 Network Security Laboratory
Gives prospective students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in Computer and Network Security Foundations in a simulated network environment. Topics to be covered include: System Hardening, Firewalls, Intrusion Detection, Vulnerability Assessment, and Investigation. Students will be working in groups of two or three to implement a comprehensive network architecture. Each group is responsible for analyzing, setting up, implementing, and documenting their solutions.