CSCI 5742: Cyber Security Programming - Project Proposal Document

This document is a project proposal for a cyber security programming course, CSCI 5742. It outlines the design of a security tool, detailing its modules, functionality, and uniqueness. The proposed tool, an "eye lookup," monitors open ports to information systems, sending data packets to assess vulnerabilities and trigger alerts. The project emphasizes the use of Java and Python, along with testing environments and strategies. The proposal highlights the tool's uniqueness in providing a wide range of functionalities, including security and threat modeling, and details the programming language selection and testing methodologies. The project aims to create a tool that reduces operational costs and offers a user-friendly interface for both attacking and preventing interfaces, making it a valuable asset in the market.

Cyber Security Programming- Proposal
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Project description
The prospective tool would be composed of several modules. The first aspect would be
choosing suitable programming language for designing user interface (Klavans, 2015). The
executable program would be an “eye lookup” monitoring over the internet to check on open
ports to information systems. While on the internet, the prospective tool would keep sending data
packets to different data channels in order to evaluate its own vulnerability as well as other
systems. Once an open port has been detected, a signal would be send to the operator with all
details. At the same time, a data packet would be conveyed to target system by converting its
address to make it look as if it is an attack from outside (Buckley, Zalewski & Clarke, 2018).
This would be meant to evaluate if the firewall would detect the signal and classify it as a threat.
If the data packet does not have some identifiable information, it should be discarded, otherwise,
it would be a valid packet. In this regard, a cycle of threats would keep flowing to the target
system making it more secure.
Tool Uniqueness
Most of the tools in the market are specific to a particular target instead of providing a
wide range of functionalities to users. With this system, it would be possible to use it as a
security tool as well as threat modeling and testing tool. With these features, it would be a unique
tool that can be used to reduce organization’s operational costs. Similarly, due to its design
complexity, simple interface design would be adopted. There would be clear boundaries between
attacking and preventing interfaces. From these two features, prospective tool would be of great
use in the market.

Programming Language
With most of the systems and devices running on NetBeans, java would be the most
suitable language to use (Hamilton, 2015). However, where communication with operating
hardware is required, specific python modules would be developed. As team members with
different capabilities in programming experiences and concepts, it is important to note on some
useful libraries such as Junit which would be used to test some program modules. The next
library Apache Commons which would be required to support some other desirable libraries
(Klavans, 2015). The best aspect with our team is that all members have basic programming
skills in java, PHP and python.
Test Environment
Testing is quite challenging when it comes to cybersecurity problem. Internal testing
would be very important for beginners. Internal testing would involve creating and hosting our
website which would be secured and attacked by the same tool. Group members would be
attackers as well as system administrators in order to be able to identify vulnerabilities (Buckley,
Zalewski & Clarke, 2018). Once a vulnerability has been detected, immediate preventive actions
would be taken. Once group members are satisfied with system functionalities, some friends
would be invited to attacker the system. This would be a good practical lesson to help developers
practice both system hacking and prevention. Similarly, the same program would be given to
some friends to secure their system then an attacker would be launched in order to help identify
some attacking weaknesses.

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Planning
Project description
Tool Uniqueness
Programming
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Test Environment
References
Buckley, I. A., Zalewski, J., & Clarke, P. J. (2018). Introducing a Cybersecurity Mindset into
Software Engineering Undergraduate Courses. International journal of advanced
computer science and applications, 9(6), 448-452.
Hamilton, C. B. (2015). Security in Programming Languages.
Klavans, J. L. (2015). Cybersecurity-What's Language got to do with it?