Blockchain Security and Privacy

Synopsis

FIN553 Blockchain Security and Privacy focuses on information security and cryptography techniques underlying fintech and blockchain technology. The course analyses different security concepts and examines how cryptographic techniques are used to realise different security objectives. It then looks at how the properties of secure cryptographic function techniques can be used to protect data integrity, authentication and user privacy in blockchain and fintech applications, and evaluates the feasibility of the protocol design. It also discusses data integrity and confidentiality protection techniques, public-key infrastructure, peer-to-peer security, and network security, access control models and advanced cryptographic techniques to provide user privacy. Students will learn how to use open source security software such as Cryptool, GNU Privacy Guard, and the Python package for cryptography at an advanced level.

Level: 5
Credit Units: 2.5
Presentation Pattern: EVERY JULY

Topics

Security objectives, threat and defense in a blockchain system
Hash function
Digital signature
Peer-to-peer and network security: attacks and defense
User privacy and identity
Data privacy on a blockchain
Zero-knowledge proofs
Secure multi-party computing

Learning Outcome

Appraise security objectives, threat models and the defense mechanism in a blockchain system
Assess how cryptographic techniques are used to make blockchain works as a secure distributed ledger technology
Appraise peer-to-peer and network security and relate it to blockchain applications
Evaluate the need of user privacy and criticise how user privacy is provided in existing blockchain and fintech applications
Design solutions to address design flaw(s) in cryptographic protocols
Construct applications based on existing open-source software to simulate blockchain applications

Part-time Programmes / CET Courses

Singapore University of Social Sciences

Blockchain Security and Privacy