Prerequisites

Information security is an interdisciplinary field, which implies that students and professionals within this field must be familiar with a wide range of theory. This page contains an overview of topics you are expected to be familiar with before entering the GUC master's programme in information security. This list is tentative and was last updated on June 1 2005.

Practical computer skills

For practical computer skills, we expect that you can use any common operating system (MacOS, Solaris, GNU/Linux or Microsoft Windows) both with a graphical user interface and a command line interface. Some of you might not have a lot of experience with the Unix/Linux family command line interface. If this applies to you, we recommend that you spend some time this summer with a Unix/Linux tutorial (e.g. Norm Matloff's...) and a live-CD (e.g. Knoppix).

Computer science

In general, we expect that you are familiar with the following computer science subjects before entering the master's programme:

• Programming
• Object-oriented programming
• Algorithms and data structures
• Databases and XML
• Software engineering
• Computer networks (Data communication)
• Operating systems
• Computer architecture

If you have not had a dedicated course on each of these subjects, don't worry, just be prepared for a little bit of extra studying when you enter topics that requires knowledge of a subject with which you are not sufficiently familiar beforehand.

Mathematics

Graduate studies in information security requires a somewhat different mathematical platform than the one included in most bachelor studies. To master the theoretical topics proposed at the HiG master program we therefore recommend that you are somewhat familiar with the following topics:

• Abstract algebra: S. K. Jain, S. R. Nagpaul, and P. B. Bhattacharya: Basic Abstract Algebra, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Complexity analysis: D. S. Johnson and M. R. Garey: Computers and Intractability, W. H. Freeman, 1979.
• Computability and decidability: D. S. Johnson and M. R. Garey: Computers and Intractability, W. H. Freeman, 1979.
• Discrete mathematics: R. L. Graham, D. E. Knuth, and O. Patashnik: Concrete Mathematics, 2nd ed. Addison-Wesley, 1994.
• Mathematical logic: M. Huth and M. Ryan: Logic in Computer Science: Modeling and reasoning about systems, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
• Number theory: Kenneth H. Rosen: Elementary number theory and its applications, 3rd ed. Addison-Wesley, 1993.

It is recommended that you either take a look at the links, or go to your nearest library and borrow one of the suggested books if you do not have any background in these topics. You do not have to master all the material covered by the references but some knowledge of these topics will allow you to focus on the problem related to information security instead of technicalities throughout the first semester. A light introduction to some of the above topics can also be found in Kenneth H. Rosen: Discrete mathematics and its applications, 5th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2003.

Don't despair if you feel lost after the first link. A one week introductory course will be held during the first week of August. This will help you to get the basics right.

Enjoy your summer!