One of the greatest threats to national security is our adversaries’ aggressive pursuit of dominance of cyberspace (e.g., nation states, organized crime, terrorist organizations) through advanced AI. There is thus a critically urgent need to build our nation’s workforce and research capacities in the intersection of cybersecurity (security) and artificial intelligence (AI). Unfortunately, efforts to catalyze this union have not kept pace and the disciplines’ curricula remain mostly isolated. Fundamental concepts in one discipline (e.g., the notion of an adversary in security and the use of big data in AI) are often seen as novel challenges and new areas to explore in the other. Thus, in addition to learning how to apply techniques across the disciplines, practicing to think from a multidisciplinary perspective by conveying the mindset and “conventional wisdom” of each, makes this course essential to address the threats to national security.
This course is built around highly collaborative small-team term-projects to mimic the R&D lifecycle in the context of AI for security, from customer requirements engineering and ideation to proposal writing and evaluation, to design, implementation, experimentation, and communication.
Per above course concept section, student teams will need to be formed which represent an appropriate mix of skill sets from the AI and security domains. In order to ensure an apropriate mix of skill sets in the class, you need to write a one-page discussion on why you want to enroll in this class and what your relevant skill sets from the AI and/or security domains are (don't just say that you passed one of the prereq courses, tell us what specific areas you're interested in and what skills you've gained either in or outside of a class). E-mail your written discussion to both instructors (see below for their contact information). We will start reviewing the written discussions on Tuesday November 17, 2020 and continue to enroll students until the class is full or the first day of classes, whichever comes first. Enrollment decisions will be based on a combination of a student's written discussion, their transcript, and their relevant skill sets in AI/security to ensure a suitable mix of skill sets in the class to form teams from.
The instructional mode for this class is Face-to-Face Required. The contact hours for this class consist of:
Exposes students in mixed-discipline teams to applying concepts and techniques in the AI domain to real-world problems of the security domain. In addition to practical experience with both domains, it will also provide students the opportunity to apply a multidisciplinary perspective conveying the “conventional wisdom” and mindsets of both AI and security through project-based learning. This course mimics R&D environments where teams extract requirements from customers, identify the state-of-the-art, design and propose solutions, implement and evaluate those solutions, and culminates in both customer and technical communication of project artifacts.
The prerequisites for this course are instructor permission and at least one background course in either security or AI (including Machine Learning - ML and Data Science - DS). Preapproved security courses are:
You are expected to have all the equipment and software needed to be successful in this course. At a minimum, you must have what is described in the Instructional Technology for Students section of the Academic Re-Entry Plan. You must have a computer and a broadband Internet connection capable of installing and reliably running Zoom to facilitate synchronous interaction during class time and office hours. Zoom is licensed by Auburn University, and you can sign up free of charge for this added-feature version authenticated with your AU credentials at https://auburn.zoom.us/. If you have needs regarding instructional technology, you can contact the AU Bookstore at books@auburn.edu.
Times for all class events will be set in US Central Time, which may not correspond to the time zone in which you will be living and studying. You are responsible for meeting deadlines in Central Time regardless of what your local time zone may be. You may find it helpful to follow the instructions linked here to have Canvas show deadlines appropriately in your local time zone to avoid any confusion.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
This course has five main SLOs for all students (COMP 7800/7806):
Justification for Graduate Credit
Graduate credit is justified for this 7000-level course as it is significantly more advanced in academic content than its prerequisitve courses at the 5000/6000-level, covers knowledge of the literature in the discipline, and ensures ongoing student engagement in research.Instructors
| Name | Daniel Tauritz, Ph.D. | Drew Springall, Ph.D. |
| Zoom office hours | Dynamic Office Hours Schedule or by appointment | TBD |
| In-person office hours | None | TBD |
| dtauritz@auburn.edu | aaspring@auburn.edu | |
| WWW | https://bonsai.auburn.edu/dtauritz/ | https://aaspring.com/ |
Miscellaneous Class Information
| Required textbook | None |
| Class website | https://bonsai.auburn.edu/dtauritz/courses/ai4sec/2021spring/ |
| Lecture times | Tuesdays, Thursdays 5:00-6:15 PM |
Grading Information Grades will be based on project performance; there are no tests in this class.
Attendance
As the majority of class sessions involve performing hands-on activities in teams, attendance is required of all COMP 7800 students, and live (synchronous) participation is highly encouraged of all COMP 7806 students. Any COMP 7800 student exceeding three non-excused absences may be dropped for non-attendance. Consistent with the Student Policy eHandbook, the instructors will excuse absences for any warranted circumstance, such as illness, needing to isolate for COVID-19, etc.; in that case, students can if feasible participate via Zoom, or watch any recorded material later. The lecture sessions of this class are offered synchronously via Zoom and the lecture recordings will be made available via Panopto.
Distance students are expected to interact with their team mates with both audio and video feeds to maximize interaction quality. Although you may be participating from your domicile, our Zoom meetings are professional interactions. You should behave as you would in a normal F2F classroom. To the extent possible, please minimize distractions in the background. We reserve the right to dismiss anyone from a Zoom meeting whose environment or behavior is distracting or problematic. If you have any issues with sharing your video feed, adhering to this policy, or anything else related to your use of Zoom, you need to notify us via email in the first week of class. We are happy to consider and provide accommodations, but you will need to be in communication with us.
Communication Policy
Information related to this class will be communicated during class sessions and via appropriate electronic media (e.g., E-mail, class website, assignment submission system GitHub Classroom). Students are expected to monitor all utilized communication channels on a daily basis. Recordings of any class lectures will be available via Panopto to all enrolled students.
Your Auburn University email address (@auburn.edu) is the university-approved form of communication between the instructional team and students. Therefore emails that you send to the instructional team should come from your @auburn.edu email address. Sending emails from addresses other than @auburn.edu could result in you not receiving a response to your message. All email communications from the instructors to you will be sent to your @auburn.edu address.
ADA Policy
The instructors will make all reasonable accomodations to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students who need accommodations need to electronically submit their approved accommodations through AU Access and to make an individual appointment with the instructors as soon as possible during the first week of classes. Students who have not established accommodations through the Office of Accessibility, but need accommodations, need to as soon as possible make an appointment with the Office of Accessibility, 1228 Haley Center, 844-2096 (V/TT).
Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is critical to the entire educational process and is a serious matter in this course. You are expected to apply the Auburn University Oath of Honor to each graded item in this course:
In accordance with those virtues of Honesty and Truthfulness set forth in the Auburn Creed, I, as a student and fellow member of the Auburn family, do hereby pledge that all work is my own, achieved through personal merit and without any unauthorized aid. In the promotion of integrity, and for the betterment of Auburn, I give honor to this, my oath and obligation.
Issues surrounding violations of academic honesty will be handled per the Student Academic Honesty Code. You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with this policy and the other resources available from the Office of Academic Effectiveness.
Classroom Behavior
The Auburn University Classroom Behavior Policy articulated in the Student Policy eHandbook is strictly followed in this course.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement
It is our intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength, and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, religion, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, veteran status, ethnicity, race, and culture. All students in this course are expected to respect their fellow classmates and actively participate in fostering an inclusive learning environment. If you experience anything in this class that makes you feel uncomfortable, please bring it to our attention and we will formulate a response. If you would prefer to remain anonymous you may complete a
Bias Incident Report
which will maintain your confidentiality.
Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let us know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups.
Names and Pronouns
Many people might go by a name in daily life that is different from their legal name. In this classroom, we will refer to people by the names that they go by. Pronouns are a way to affirm someone's identity. They are simply a public way in which people are referred to in place of their name (e.g., "he" or "she" or "they" or "ze" or something else). In this classroom, you are invited to share what pronouns you go by, and we will refer to people using the pronouns that they share.
Extended Student Absence
If illness causes you to be unable to participate for an extended period in the class, please contact the instructors as soon as possible to discuss your options.
Extended Instructor Absence
If illness causes the instructors to be unable to teach the class for an extended period, a back-up instructional solution will be executed to ensure that the class will proceed uninterrupted.
Emergency Contingency
If normal class and/or lab activities are disrupted due to illness, emergency, or crisis situations (such as a COVID-19 outbreak), the syllabus and other class plans and assignments may be modified to allow completion of the class. If this occurs, an addendum to the syllabus and/or class assignments will replace the original materials.