Introductory description

Computer architecture and operating systems are crucial for providing a deep understanding of how computers function at a fundamental level. This knowledge is essential for effectively designing, developing, and troubleshooting software applications. It helps in optimizing performance, identifying bottlenecks, and ensuring efficient resource utilization. Studying computer architecture and operating systems from a cyber security perspective helps gain insights into the vulnerabilities that arise from design choices, implementation flaws, or misconfigurations. It also allows the development of effective security measures and countermeasures to protect computer systems from attacks.
This module starts by providing essential principles and concepts of computer systems to develop a deeper understanding of the hardware environment upon which all computing is based, and the interface it provides to higher software layers. Students will learn about computer systems’ functional components, their characteristics, performance, and interactions, and the challenge of harnessing parallelism to sustain performance improvements now and in the future. This module then outlines the principles of how an operating system is constructed, how it works, and its critical role in cyber security by providing a solid understanding of how a modern operating system satisfies its requirements in the cyber context.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Outline content
The content of this module will be taught from a cyber security perspective.

• Digital logic and digital systems
• Machine-level representation of data
• Assembly-level machine organisation
• Memory system organisation and architecture
• Overview of operating systems
• Operating system principles
• Concurrency and synchronisation
• Scheduling and dispatch
• Memory management
• Security and protection
• File systems
• Interaction and network communication

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Understand the key architectural components of computer systems and essential principles behind the organisation and operation of a typical general-purpose operating system.
• Explain how simple processes, memory and file management algorithms and data structures work.
• Evaluate code at the assembly language level to analyse cyber consequences arising from insecure patterns of code.
• Select and effectively apply security measures and protection mechanisms

Indicative reading list

Stokes, Jon, “Inside the Machine: An Illustrated Introduction to Microprocessors and Computer Architecture”, No Starch Press (2015)

Love, Robert, “Linux System Programming: Talking Directly to the Kernel and C Library”, 2 Ed, O'Reilly (2013)

Silberschatz, Abraham, Galvin, Peter B., Gagne, Greg, “Operating System Concepts”, 9 Ed, Wiley (2013)

Tanenbaum, Andrew S., Bos, Herbert, “Modern Operating Systems”, 4 Ed, Pearson (2014)

Subject specific skills

Performance Optimization
Troubleshooting and Debugging
Exploitation of low-level coding vulnerabilities

Transferable skills

Problem solving and critical thinking