ITIS 6200 / 8200: Principles of Information Security and Privacy

Prof. Jian Xiang
Fall 2026

Lectures: Tuesdays 10:00am-12:30pm
Location: The Dubois Center (Uptown), Room 601

Announcements

  • We follow this schedule of teaching and assignments.
  • We do weekly paper reading. Students form groups and lead one paper discussion — see the Paper Reading Schedule.
  • AI use policy: you must disclose how you used AI in your submissions, and you may not copy/paste AI output as your answer. See the policies for details.

Syllabus: Course Information | Grading | Textbook | Schedule | Policies

Course information

This course provides a fundamental study of information security and privacy, emphasizing both foundational principles and current research. Topics include cryptography, system, network, web, and software security, authentication and access control, privacy, and emerging security challenges. In addition to learning fundamental concepts, students critically read and discuss research papers, analyze contemporary security problems, and complete a substantial project involving the design, implementation, and evaluation of a security solution.

Credit hours: 3

See the lecture schedule for more detailed information on topics covered.

Course Format: Each class combines instructor-led lectures with student-centered discussions of research papers. Lectures introduce the theoretical foundations and practical techniques underlying major security topics; paper discussions provide opportunities to critically examine current research, evaluate proposed approaches, identify strengths and limitations, and connect research advances to real-world security challenges. Students complete assigned readings before class and actively participate in discussions.

Course staff

  • Instructor: Jian Xiang
    • Office Hours: Fridays 1:00-2:30pm, Woodward Hall 330D, or by appointment
  • Teaching Assistant:
    • Utkarsh Parashar (uparash1@charlotte.edu)
      • Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 11:30am-12:30pm; Woodward 309 and online (check the calendar before you go)

See below for a calendar of Office Hours. Office hours may change due to unexpected conflicts, so double check the calendar before you go.

All questions and issues related to assignments, course content, etc., should be sent to the course staff. Questions related to grades, special consideration, etc. can be sent directly to Prof. Xiang. Note that course staff may take up to 48 hours to respond.

Time and place

There is one 150-minute lecture per week: Tuesday 10:00am-12:30pm, in The Dubois Center (Uptown), Room 601.

Homework, exams, and grading

There will be an in-class open-book midterm and final exam (printed materials permitted; no AI tools, cellphones, or internet; a lockdown browser is required). Homework is assigned approximately weekly, along with in-class quizzes, a group course project, and weekly paper discussions. Your grade is a weighted average of the components below. (The percentage breakdown is subject to change with reasonable notice.)

  • Homework assignments / labs (30%): assigned approximately weekly via Canvas; hands-on exercises plus scenario-based analysis.
  • Midterm exam (15%): in class; Tue, Sep 29. Covers the cryptography lectures.
  • Final exam (20%): in class; Tue, Dec 8; 8:00-10:30am.
  • Course project (15%): group project (up to three students) — design, implementation, and evaluation, with a proposal, final report, code on GitHub, and a 10-minute presentation (8 min + 2 min Q&A). Same groups as the paper discussions.
  • Weekly paper discussion (10%): each group leads one paper discussion; everyone reads the required paper before class. See the Paper Reading Schedule.
  • In-class quizzes (10%): short quizzes at the start of most lectures; lowest two scores dropped; no late submissions.
  • Engagement and interaction (extra credit, capped at 3%): in-class Q&A and attending office hours.

Grading scale: A: 90-100, B: 80-89, C: 70-79, D: 60-69, F: below 60.

Textbooks

No textbook is required, but if you would like additional references, we recommend:

See the Resources page for additional material.

Schedule

Lecture schedule

See here for a detailed schedule of lectures and readings, and the Paper Reading Schedule for the full reading list.

Check University Academic Calendar for other important dates and deadlines.

Office hours

Office hours will start in the second week of classes. We will use this Google calendar for office hour times:

Course Policies

See the Course Policies page for more information, including Late/Extension policy, Exams, the Paper Discussions policy, Diversity and Inclusion, Inclusive Learning and Accessibility, Mental Health, and Collaboration and Academic Integrity.

Syllabus Revisions

The instructor may modify standards and requirements set forth in this syllabus at any time. Notice of such changes will be by announcement to the class.