COMP 3825 – Network and Information Assurance

Instructor: Brodrick Stigall (brodrick.stigall@memphis.edu)
Lectures: Tuesday, Thursday 11:20 AM - 12:45 PM
Location: Dunn Hall 124
Office Hours: By appointment (send email to set up)
Course Website: https://memphis.instructure.com/

Course Description

This course introduces the principles of computer networks, including: Layers of Networking, Applications (World-Wide Web, Email, DNS), and Network Management. It also covers basic concepts of information assurance, including Threat Models, Basic Cryptography (Symmetric Cryptography, Public-key Cryptography, Message Authentication), Security Policies, and Cyber-ethics.
(The content and syllabus are subject to adjustment during the semester.)

Prerequisites: COMP 2700, COMP 2150

Required Text:
Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, 9th Edition, James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross, Pearson, 2026

Evaluation

Component	Weight
Class participation/In-class Quiz	10%
Homework	20%
Term Project	20%
Mid-term Exam	20%
Final Exam	30%

This scheme is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion.

Grading Scale

Grade	Score
A+	94
A	90
A-	87
B+	84
B	81
B-	79
C+	75
C	72
C-	68
D+	64
D	60
F	< 60

Course Policies

• Late Policy: Without prior request, no late work will be accepted. Late submissions may be accepted at a penalty of 10% per day for up to three days.
• Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend class regularly. Attendance may be taken randomly and will affect class participation points.
• Testing Policy: Exams are closed book/note/laptop/neighbor. One cheat sheet (8.5x11) is allowed. No makeup exams unless there is a documented emergency.
• Homework/Project Policy: Use word processing software to type homework/project reports and submit well-formatted PDFs.
• Plagiarism/Cheating Policy: Plagiarism or cheating will not be tolerated. Offenses may result in a failing grade and referral to University Judicial Affairs. See U of M code of student conduct for details.
• Your work may be submitted to Turnitin.com or similar for originality checks.

Topics

• Introduction
  • Course Overview and Introduction
  • Concepts of Computer Networks
  • Network Overview
  • Network Core
  • Protocol Layering
• Network Applications
  • Web
  • Email
  • DNS
  • Socket Programming
• Transport Layer
  • TCP
  • UDP
• Network Layer
  • IP
  • NAT and ICMP
  • Routing
• Wireless Networking
  • 802.11 home networks
  • 4G/5G mobile networks
• Concepts of Information Assurance
  • Symmetric Cryptography (One Time Pad, Stream Cipher, Block Cipher: DES, AES)
  • Public Key Cryptography (Key Exchange, RSA)
  • Message Authentication and Digital Signatures
  • TLS/SSL
  • Wireless network security
  • CyberEthics