June 25-29, 2007 Vancouver BC, Canada - Association for the ...

PRE-CONFERENCE TUTORIALS & WORKSHOPS
Monday, June 25, Afternoon, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
T4: Security and Dependability in E-Learning
Edgar R. Weippl, Vienna University of Technology, Austria
Abstract
This tried-and-true tutorial provides attendants with a comprehensive overview of
security issues relevant to e-learning. After attending the tutorial, participants will
be able to perform a security risk analysis for their projects and have a through
understanding of possible risks in e-learning. Even though security has become
paramount in many other areas of Web-based business, research in e-learning is
still hardly concerned about the issues of security and privacy. A similar tutorial
(Security in E-Learning) has already been presented at many conferences, including
EDMEDIA 2003-2006 and E-Learn 2005. Based the feedback of these tutorials
and ongoing research work this year's tutorial will offer insight to recent
advances in computer security and include aspects of dependability.
Objectives
Considering the enormous costs of creating and maintaining courses, it is surprising
that security is not yet considered an important issue by most people involved,
including teachers and students. Unlike traditional security research, which has
largely been driven by military requirements to enforce secrecy, in the realm of e-
learning it is not the information itself that has to be protected against unauthorized
access but, the way it is presented. In most cases the knowledge contained in e-
learning programs is more or less widely available; therefore, the asset is not the
information itself but the hypermedia presentation used to convey it.
Dependability includes most security requirements but does no longer focus on
confidentiality, a requirement that is considered not that important by many teachers
and students. In this tutorial we build on the findings published in our book
"Security in E-Learning" (to be published by Springer NY in 2005) and extend them
to include aspects of dependability.
Outline
Objectives - After attending the tutorial the audience will be able to answer following
questions:
• Authors
-Why is security relevant when creating content?
-Which kind of threats are there?
-Which assets should I protect?
* Texts, Images
* Links,
* Exams, Solutions
* Programs and Interactive Examples
-How can I protect the aforementioned assets?
-Are there ways to impede illegal use through smart design?
-How much additional effort will be required?
• Teachers
-Why is security relevant when using e-learning?
-Which kind of threats are there?
-Which assets should I protect?
-Does standardization (of e.g. exams) undermine the freedom of academia?
-How can I determine the level of risk exposure of my exam questions?
-How can I make my lecture “secure“? Will it have a negative impact on my
“honest” students?
-How much additional effort will be required?
• Managers
-Which organization issues are relevant to security?
-How is security influenced by
* infrastructure
* buildings and floor layouts,
* organizational workflows
(e.g. how are exam results handled to eventually affect grades?)
-How can a manager make a good case for security so that teachers, authors
and students will support him?
-How much additional effort will be required?
Prerequisites
Target Audience
• Authors creating e-learning content.
• Teachers using e-learning systems.
• Managers responsible for the selection and maintenance of e-learning programs.
Intended Experience Level
Advanced
Instructor Qualifications
Dr. Edgar R. Weippl is assistant professor at the Vienna University of Technology and
CEO of Security Research. His research focuses on applied concepts of IT-security
and e-learning. Edgar has taught several tutorials on security issues in e-learning at
international conferences, including ED-MEDIA 2003-2006 and E-Learn 2005. In
2005, he published Security in E-Learning with Springer. After graduating with a
Ph.D. from the Vienna University of Technology, Edgar worked for two years in a
research startup. He then spent one year teaching as an assistant professor at Beloit
College, WI. From 2002 to 2004, while with the software vendor ISIS Papyrus, he
worked as a consultant for an HMO (Empire BlueCross BlueShield) in New York, NY
and Albany, NY, and for Deutsche Bank (PWM) in Frankfurt, Germany. An extended
CV including all publications is available at www.ifs.tuwien.ac.at/~weippl
Tutorials are indicated by a T# and have a lecture/demonstration format. Workshops are indicated by a W# and are primarily hands-on sessions.
We advise early registration for all Tutorials and Workshops due to limited space available.
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