Master Courses

This course focuses on modern computer network infrastructures and technologies. The topics of this course range from different protocols (IPv6, SCTP, DCCP, ...) over P2P Systems, Voice over IP, Wireless Sensor Networks, Social Networks, Cloud/Grid Computing to hacking techniques and recently exploited vulnerabilities of software or hardware. But also more general topics on hacking, security, and networking are discussed in more or less seminar style.

The course Applied Cryptography is part of the IT-Sec Summer Term at IAIK. It treats selected topics of the area of applied cryptography. The topics include classical cryptography, symmetric encryption, hash functions, asymmetric encryption, digital signatures, identification protocols, key-exchange protocols, zero-knowledge proofs, electronic payments, mobile security, internet security.

This course is held in the winter term and treats selected topics of the area of applied cryptography. The topics include cryptanalysis of block ciphers and hash functions, quantum cryptography, classic and modern approaches to factoring and discrete logarithm problems (How to break RSA?), elliptic curve cryptography, lattices in cryptography (post quantum crypto)

Cyber incidents like the explosion of a gas pipeline in Bellingham in 1999, where three people died, or the internet-attacks against Estonia in 2007 which disrupted government and banking services for several days, or the Stuxnet worm in 2011 with the probable target of Iranian uranium enrichment infrastructure show that the intense use of information and telecommunication technologies and the Internet brings up new risks for critical infrastructures like power supply, telecommunication, banking, and so forth. The lecture gives an overview of current national and international policy, research and other activities in the field of critical information infrastructure protection.

Selected Topics in Design & Verification is a collaborative, seminar-style class. Each year, we study scientific literature on an advanced topic in the intersection of theory, verification, and system design. In the past, we have focussed on formal verification, the synthesis of systems from specifications, and the contsruction of small circuits.

The course E-Government (AK IT Sicherheit 1) treats on concepts of e-Government, the technology involved and its applications. We investigate how IT security concepts have been implemented for a secure e-Government in Austria. In addition, we examine on digital signatures, identity management, electronic delivery, legal aspects etc. Finally, we discuss on e-Government on a cross-border context and present current e-Government research activities.

The course IT-Security is part of the IT-Sec Summer Term at IAIK. It is concerned with various forms of applications of cryptography in security protocols, the problem of key management and distribution, the problem of how to implement cryptography in a secure way and how the well known public key algorithms are implemented in practice.
We investigate how to attack a hardware implementation of a crypto algorithm (e.g. on a Smartcard) and we also have a look at various examples of real life scenarios, where an improper use of cryptography lead to security breaks (electronic voting, car security, ...).

This course focuses on different topics related to security-aware software development. The topics range from common security threats arising from programming errors to best-practice countermeasure techniques. The course also includes the discussion and application of common cryptographic techniques and design methodologies which allow efficient countermeasures.

System on Chip (SOC) is an advanced course in which a complex digital system is realized. An comprehensive application (media-streaming client, RFID reader, ...) gets realized as hardware and software components. SOC is an project-oriented course in which students contribute significantly to the final success. Besides hands-on experience in realizing such a system theoretical depth is reached by preparing talks about SOC tools, methdologies, and technologies.

This course examines several aspects of data security in a networked environment. The advent of powerful smart phones containing privacy sensitive information paired with a tendency to work and store data in the Cloud aggravates the question of data security and privacy protection in the Internet. In this course we discuss a set of technologies to better protect, manage and control sensitive data, with a special focus on privacy sensitive data.

This class focusses on advanced methods to test programs, including formal verification. We discuss algorithms for deadlock detection and race detection, program slicing, model checking, and abstraction.

VLSI Design is about the structured implementation of digital circuits on CMOS technologies. The topic is covered in a top-down approach, where the desired digital functionality is first modeled at high level and than refined (algorithms, architectures, HDL model) and finally mapped onto a contemprorary CMOS standard-cell library. Place & route and backend verification ensures manufacturability. In the lecture the background of VLSI design is coverd, where the practical applies industry-approved CAD tools to develop a nearly tapeout-ready circuit.

We offer opportunites for master-projects for all students of Informatik, Softwareentwicklung/Wirtschaft and Telematik. Most of these offers are closely related to one of our research-projects. A follow-up master thesis in the same area is perfectly possible and desired!