CSci780 - Advanced Microarchitecture Security

CSCI 780: Advanced Microarchitecture Security, Fall 2022

General Information

Prerequisites

Students are expected to have a basic understanding of computer organization, operating systems principles and programming.

Course Materials

Lecture slides and links to research papers discussed in class will be posted on Blackboard.

Recommended books:

Other useful books:

Course Description

This advanced topics course will explore recent research in the intersection of computer microarchitecture and security. The course will cover a wide variety of topics including covert and side channel attacks, speculative execution attacks, microarchitectural support for security and others. Research papers covered in this course consist of both well known works as well as papers recently published in the top conferences. The instructor will provide a background overview for topics covered in the course. Students will acquire the knowledge needed to perform research or conduct practice in the field. Students will read and review papers, participate in class discussions and present papers during the class. In addition, students will be asked to perform a term project or to write a survey with a topic of their preference and present their results in class.

Grade Distribution

General Information

Paper Critiques and Homeworks

Instructions for paper critiques:

All students are required to submit a detailed critique for paper presented in class. Student presenting a paper does not need to submit a critique. Critiques must be submitted before the beginning of class in which the paper is discussed.

Submission Format:

Each critique should not exceed one-page and must consist of four sections:

  1. Paper summary (2-3 lines)
  2. Strengths (2-3 lines), what you liked about the paper
  3. Weaknesses (2-3 lines), what you did not like
  4. Detailed comments (rest of the page) explaining your points

In-Class Presentations

Each student will present two papers throughout the semester. If you plan to audit the course, you are required to present at least one paper. When you present a paper, be prepared to answer a variety of questions asked by the instructor and fellow students. The goal is to make class lively. A list of papers will be provided to students. Students will be allowed to choose papers from the list or suggest other papers. Suggested papers need to be approved by the instructor.

Missing the date of your presentation will result in “0” grade for that particular assignment.

Semester-Long Research Project

Registered students are expected to perform a semester-long research project. If you audit the class, the project is optional. All projects need to be approved by the instructor. Please contact the instructor early to brainstorm potential project ideas. Projects are expected to demonstrate novelty. A limited list of topics will be announced by the instructor. However, students are encouraged to choose a topic of their interest. The topic needs to overlap with a broader definition of microarchitecture security. Remember, the key to successful project is making steady progress and starting early, not trying to finish your project the night before the deadline.

You can form teams of two students to work on the project. If you choose to do that, explain in your final report what part of the project was done by each student. Multiple students can work on same topic independently.

You can choose either to do a hands-on project or write a detailed survey. The survey should systematize a large number of papers (e.g. 20) in the area selected by the student. You can find examples in SoK (Systematization of Knowledge) papers. If you chose writing a survey, no team-work is permitted.

Project Timeline

Project determination:

Please send an email to the instructor before the deadline containing:

  1. Project Name (think of this as your paper/report title)
  2. Problem Statement
  3. Expected Steps (setting up infrastructure, implementation, performing experiment, data analyses, etc.)
  4. Expected/possible outcome and contribution

Final Project Presentation

You are expected to present your results in class at the end of semester. Focus on your results you achieved and conclusions.

Final report

Please submit your final report via email your final project report in PDF format. Please use the ACM sigconf format. The PDF should have following sections:

  1. Problem Statement
  2. Introduction (with problem statement)
  3. Threat model (clearly explain all your assumptions)
  4. Background and Related Work
  5. Implementation Details
  6. If you are proposing some security solution, include a security analyses section
  7. Results
  8. Conclusions

If you need any help with the project or have any questions, contact the instructor during office hours. If you require access to computational resources or any specific hardware, talk to the instructor.

Exams

There will be no exams in this course.

Semester Schedule

This is a tentative schedule! The schedule will be updated as we progress though the semester. Please watch for updates!

Lecture Date Topic
1 Thu, Aug 29, 24 Introduction to the Course
2 Tue, Sep 3, 24 Microarchitecture Intro
3 Thu, Sep 5, 24 Canceled
4 Tue, Sep 10, 24 Microarchitecture Intro
5 Thu, Sep 12, 24 Microarchitecture Intro
6 Tue, Sep 17, 24 Cryptography overview
7 Thu, Sep 19, 24 Caches, TLB, Branch predictors
8 Tue, Sep 24, 24 Caches, TLB, Branch predictors
9 Thu, Sep 26, 24 Microarchitectural Side channel attacks
10 Tue, Oct 1, 24 Microarchitectural Side channel attacks
11 Thu, Oct 3, 24 Speculative Execution Attacks
12 Tue, Oct 8, 24 Speculative Execution Attacks
  Thu, Oct 10, 24 Fall break
13 Tue, Oct 15, 24 Novel microachitectural attacks
14 Thu, Oct 17, 24 Emergent hardware platforms / Hardware support for security
15 Tue, Oct 22, 24 Paper presentation by student
16 Thu, Oct 24, 24 Paper presentation by student
17 Tue, Oct 29, 24 Paper presentation by student
18 Thu, Oct 31, 24 Paper presentation by student
  Tue, Nov 5, 24 Election day
19 Thu, Nov 7, 24 Paper presentation by student
20 Tue, Nov 12, 24 Paper presentation by student
21 Thu, Nov 14, 24 Paper presentation by student
22 Tue, Nov 19, 24 Paper presentation by student
23 Thu, Nov 21, 24 Paper presentation by student
24 Tue, Nov 26, 24 Paper presentation by student
  Thu, Nov 28, 24 Thanksgiving Break
25 Tue, Dec 3, 24 Project Presentation
26 Thu, Dec 5, 24 Project Presentation

Helpful Services

Students wanting to improve their academic writing or teaching/presenting skills should consider taking GRAD 520: ACADEMIC WRITING and GRAD 550: COLLEGE TEACHING. The courses are offered through the Reves Center and are aimed at non-native English speakers, specifically. If interested please contact Glosson, Sarah G at sgglos@wm.edu.

The Writing Resources Center (WRC) can help when students have questions about how to construct an argument, deliver a presentation, use and cite sources, and more. Please visit the WRC website to request a class visit, tour, or brochures. The Writing Resources Center, located on the first floor of Swem Library, is a free service provided to W&M students. Trained consultants offer individual assistance with writing, presentation, and other communication assignments across disciplines and at any stage, from generating ideas to polishing a final product.

Academic Accommodations

It is the policy of The College of William and Mary to accommodate students with disabilities and qualifying diagnosed conditions in accordance with federal and state laws. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a learning, psychiatric, physical, or chronic health diagnosis should contact Student Accessibility Services staff at 757-221-2512 or at sas@wm.edu to determine if accommodations are warranted and to obtain an official letter of accommodation. For more information, please click here.

Mental and Physical Well-Being:

William & Mary recognizes that students juggle different responsibilities and can face challenges that make learning difficult. There are many resources available at W&M to help students navigate emotional/psychological, physical/medical, material/accessibility concerns, including:

  1. The W&M Counseling Center at (757) 221-3620. Services are free and confidential.
  2. The W&M Health Center at (757) 221-4386.
  3. For additional support or resources & questions, contact the Dean of Students at 757-221-2510.
  4. For a list of other resources available to students click here.

Honor Code

Students are required to follow the Honor System of the College of William and Mary.