Developing a course module for teaching cryptography programming on Android

Abstract

Mobile platforms have become extremely popular among users and hence become an important platform for developers. Mobile devices often store tremendous amount of personal, financial and commercial data. Several studies have shown that large number of the mobile applications that use cryptography APIs have made mistakes. This could potentially attract both targeted and mass-scale attacks, which will cause great loss to the mobile users. Therefore, it is vitally important to provide education in secure mobile programming to students in computer science and other related disciplines. It is very hard to find pedagogical resources on this topic that many educators urgently need. This paper introduces a course module that teaches students how to develop secure Android applications by correctly using Android's cryptography APIs. This course module is targeted to two areas where programmers commonly make many mistakes: password based encryption and SSL certificate validation. The core of the module includes a real world sample Android program for students to secure by implementing cryptographic components correctly. The course module will use open-ended problem solving to let students freely explore the multiple options in securing the application. The course module includes a lecture slide on Android's Crypto library, its common misuses, and suggested good practices. Assessment materials will also be included in the course module. This course module could be used in mobile programming class or network security class. It could also be taught as a module in advanced programming class or used as a self-teaching tool for general public.