Category: Machine Learning

You will be learning about modern web-based API security principles in this project. These APIs are extremely popular ways of sharing data and integrating enterprise software systems. Understanding how they work and security best practices are paramount to a well rounded security expert. FIND FLAG 1-7 AND SEE THE INSTRUCTOINS FILE FOR SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS THANKS
You’ll use the same virtual machine you’ve been using.
The VM username and password is apisec and Chris_Cornell
VM Download link: https://cs6035.s3.amazonaws.com/CS6035-Fall-2024-RC2.ova
The VM requires VirtualBox 7.0.18 or higher and we always recommend that you use the latest version. The current version is 7.0.20.
You are welcome to attempt to use VMWare products, Parallels, or any other hypervisor of your choice but we cannot provide help in troubleshooting for anything other than VirtualBox.
It’s also possible to emulate the VM on ARM based Macs. I’ve decided to provide some details on how I configure the emulation but again these instructions come without any warranty – we cannot grant extensions due to emulation issues.
OVA Info:
Name: CS6035-Fall-2024-RC2.ova
Size: 11873793024 bytes (11 GiB)
CRC32: D8729A2C
CRC64: D1A2D15B34FFADBD
SHA256: 87f61394d661e0a72f50c3a2121d34d15652ad7948152318aa9ff2345e0251d7
SHA1: 3ff69840f44a60c0881da6e98d0bd9a6ae43289a
BLAKE2sp: 9d032dbf6f706c8721c80b38c71e87760d9f9ad052718f88dd181d1f368569f0

This project is intended to be an introduction to Data Science and Machine Learning concepts as they are applied in the Cybersecurity domain.
Beyond basic Python experience we don’t expect you to be familiar with these concepts so it will require you to spend time learning fundamentals of ML. This may require spending time watching tutorials, reading documentation and/or Googling information.
To get started review the machine learning instructions file. Specifically, please look at the Setup instruction
When you complete your python files please upload them( see the instructions)
You can do this project on your host machine, we recommend you do it on the host unless you don’t want to install Miniconda there. Then you could use the VM. If you’re using the the username and password is:
Username: machine
Password: B_B_King
IMPORTANT REFERENCE MATERIALS:
NumPy Documentation
Pandas Documentation
Scikit-learn Documentation

This project is intended to be an introduction to Data Science and Machine Learning concepts as they are applied in the Cybersecurity domain.
Beyond basic Python experience we don’t expect you to be familiar with these concepts so it will require you to spend time learning fundamentals of ML. This may require spending time watching tutorials, reading documentation and/or Googling information.
To get started review the machine learning instructions file. Specifically, please look at the Setup instruction
When you complete your python files please upload them( see the instructions)
You can do this project on your host machine, we recommend you do it on the host unless you don’t want to install Miniconda there. Then you could use the VM. If you’re using the the username and password is:
Username: machine
Password: B_B_King
IMPORTANT REFERENCE MATERIALS:
NumPy Documentation
Pandas Documentation
Scikit-learn Documentation

This project is intended to be an introduction to Data Science and Machine Learning concepts as they are applied in the Cybersecurity domain.
Beyond basic Python experience we don’t expect you to be familiar with these concepts so it will require you to spend time learning fundamentals of ML. This may require spending time watching tutorials, reading documentation and/or Googling information.
To get started review the machine learning instructions file. Specifically, please look at the Setup instruction
When you complete your python files please upload them( see the instructions)
You can do this project on your host machine, we recommend you do it on the host unless you don’t want to install Miniconda there. Then you could use the VM. If you’re using the the username and password is:
Username: machine
Password: B_B_King

This project is intended to be an introduction to Data Science and Machine Learning concepts as they are applied in the Cybersecurity domain.
Beyond basic Python experience we don’t expect you to be familiar with these concepts so it will require you to spend time learning fundamentals of ML. This may require spending time watching tutorials, reading documentation and/or Googling information.
To get started review the machine learning instructions file. Specifically, please look at the Setup instruction
When you complete your python files please upload them( see the instructions)
You can do this project on your host machine, we recommend you do it on the host unless you don’t want to install Miniconda there. Then you could use the VM. If you’re using the the username and password is:
Username: machine
Password: B_B_King

you need to submit a Jupyter Notebook with the code classifying the provided dataset.
Dataset and python file is provided in the link below.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1bbuAOdM9A9…

all details in the file
The homework need to use virtual machine and Ubuntu so i need expert for this task + must take screenshot and documenting each step and command you execute, along with providing explanations and annotations for clarity.
It is essential that you are proficient in the subject matter to ensure accuracy and thoroughness in your work. Additionally, please ensure that each step is captured visually through screenshots or screen recordings, and that you include any notes or observations related to the actions taken.
+ add References , don’t use chat gpt to answer the question.
Note : the screenshot for every steps is it very important,

Project Overview:
The project aims to provide trainees with practical experience in deep learning techniques for handwritten digit recognition using the MNIST dataset. Trainees will explore various aspects of deep learning, including model design, hyperparameter tuning, addressing overfitting, feature transformation, and visualization techniques.
Group members: Maximum three members allowed
Dataset: MNIST Dataset
The MNIST dataset is a well-known benchmark dataset in the field of machine learning, consisting of 28×28 pixel grayscale images of handwritten digits (0 to 9).
Dataset Link: http://yann.lecun.com/exdb/mnist/

literature review is *AI/ML-based Auto Graders for Unstructured Open-ended Questions*. The criteria for evaluation and submission requirements are detailed below.
A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. It involves critical analysis, categorization, and synthesis of relevant scholarly materials and should not merely summarize the sources, but also organize and present them in a way that builds an argument or case for a new research opportunity.
A literature review selects relevant past literature and Connects, Synthesizes, and Evaluates the 25 to 50 most recently published papers within 2023-2024 timeframe, approaches, or articles that are similar or related, putting the authors in conversation with each other in 4000 or more words. You need to identify and download 25-50 recent peer-reviewed articles published in 2023-2024 about your topic to connect, synthesize, and evaluate the information.
An effective literature review fulfills three purposes:
1) Situates your work within the broader scholarly community – connects your work to the broader field and shows that your work has grown organically from current trends.
2) Shows that you have “done your homework” (and builds your credibility) by illustrating your familiarity with the major agreements, debates, and critical findings of the field.
3) Illustrates a “gap” in this previous research—a gap that can be filled by your unique and novel research contribution.
Most of the literature reviews you will encounter are introductory sections to research papers (i.e., proposals, journal articles, theses, etc.), but you may also encounter stand-alone literature reviews that summarize the state of research in a particular field or topic area. It is important to understand the purpose of your literature review so check with a professor if you have questions.
How Do I Write a Literature review?
An effective literature review CONNECTS and GROUPS relevant research based on common themes or trends. Each paragraph should discuss one specific trend, not one specific author.
In general, the topic sentences in a literature review should illustrate the connection across multiple studies: the common agreement/disagreement, the similar focus or the related limitation. Below are some common phrases for connecting studies by showing agreement and disagreement
Use the following phrases to highlight agreement.
o “One trend in the research is….”
o “Research seems to agree that….”
o “Numerous authors support the claim that….”
o “There is strong convergent evidence for….”
Or disagreement
o “The evidence on X is mixed for….”
o “There is overall debate regarding….”
o “A lack of consensus exists on the point of…”
o “There are two conflicting camps on the issue of….”
Below is a brief annotated example of how to write a literature review. However, to provide a meaningful literature review and debate on your assigned topic, you need to include more detailed discussions, resources, and analyses. Your review should be 4,000 words or more and include diagrams, tables, equations, and references. Additionally, you must adhere to the required formatting guidelines and the structured layout (including sections and subsections) of your literature review.
Due to the sensitive nature of passwords, acquiring high-quality password corpora for analysis can be difficult [Summary of research trends]. Data sets that were used in previous work on passwords have all been non-ideal in at least one dimension.
A review of the literature shows that many researchers use password corpora collected from various security leaks [14, 24, 26, 35, 53, 55] [Research trend]. [Assesses limitations of previous research] These corpora tend to be very large (tens of thousands to millions), and they represent in-use passwords selected by users. While this approach has many benefits, these passwords come with no contextual information about how they were made or used, and the released lists are difficult to verify. Furthermore, the largest leaks thus far have come from low-value accounts with weak password-composition policies, such as the RockYou gaming website. In addition, if the password file is encrypted or hashed, only those…
On the other hand, there is an extensive literature that describes researchers asking users to self-report password information [Research trend], including both password composition details and user sentiment information, instead of collecting passwords expressly for an experiment [7,33,37,47, 49,58]. [Assesses limitations of all previous research] While self-reported data can be very useful and can provide a lot of context, it cannot always be considered reliable, particularly with regard to a sensitive topic like passwords.
Finally, a small number of researchers have been able to work with large organizations to collect authentic data [Research trend]. [Indicates method weakness with all studies] Florêncio and Herley used an opt-in component of the Windows Live toolbar to collect … Bonneau worked with Yahoo! to analyze plaintext passwords … Both studies include very large, reliable samples, as well as good contextual information. Due to security concerns, however, in both studies researchers were able to record only extremely limited information about the content of the passwords, precluding many…. [Connects to current study] In contrast, our paper connects information about each user with analysis of that user’s plaintext….
In this paper, we overcome many limitations of past studies. [Illustrates how current study overcomes limitations of previous research] Our password corpus includes more than 25,000 real passwords, created by users for frequently used, high-value accounts unrelated to our research context. We have indirect, yet extensive, access to plain-text passwords, allowing us to perform more complex and thorough analyses than was possible for other similarly authentic corpora.
Required Formatting
1) Resources: You need to identify and download 25-50 recent peer-reviewed articles published in 2023-2024 about your topic to connect, synthesize, and evaluate the information.
2) Pages/Words: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The length should be dictated by the breadth of the topic and the requirements of the assignment or publication. Typically, literature reviews are in 4000 or more words but can be much longer in some cases. Please note that submitting less than 4000 words will result in a grade of zero for this assignment.
3) Margins: Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
4) Line Spacing: Double-spacing is standard for the body text; single-spacing can be used for block quotations and references.
5) Paragraphs: Use a first-line indent for paragraphs; block format can be used for headings and subheadings.
6) Font Type/Family: Use a standard, easily readable font. Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are common choices in academic writing.
7) Font Size: 12pt for the main text is standard; 10-11pt can be used for footnotes and figure captions.
8) Number of Figures: Use figures and tables only as needed to illustrate key points or summarize information.
9) Captions: Every figure and table should have a caption that describes its content and relevance to the literature review.
10) Citation Style: Use a consistent citation style throughout your review. APA, MLA, and Chicago are common.
11) Reference List: All sources cited in the text should appear in the reference list at the end of your document.
12) Proofreading: Check for spelling and grammar errors and ensure clarity and coherence in your writing.
13) Plagiarism: Make sure to paraphrase correctly and cite all sources to avoid plagiarism.
Required Structure (section titles, but feel free to add more subsections)
1) Topic Title: Title, your name, and your institution/college/department.
2) Abstract: literature reviews start with an abstract that summarizes the key points.
3) Introduction: Define the topic, provide an overview of the review, and state the objectives or research questions.
4) Body: Organize the literature into subsections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theories, methods, and results.
a. Relevant Theories
b. Methods
c. Results
5) Conclusion: Summarize the major contributions, note the current state of research, and suggest areas for future work.
6) References: Use a consistent citation style throughout your review. APA, MLA, and Chicago are common. Your resources must include studies published recently, specifically within the 2023-2024 timeframe.
Remember that a literature review is not just a list of summaries, but a critical analysis that makes sense of the corpus of literature. It should identify gaps, inconsistencies, and the need for additional research. The formatting should support the readability and organizational structure of the document. Always adhere to the listed above guidelines provided.

literature review is *AI/ML-based Auto Graders for Unstructured Open-ended Questions*. The criteria for evaluation and submission requirements are detailed below.
A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. It involves critical analysis, categorization, and synthesis of relevant scholarly materials and should not merely summarize the sources, but also organize and present them in a way that builds an argument or case for a new research opportunity.
A literature review selects relevant past literature and Connects, Synthesizes, and Evaluates the 25 to 50 most recently published papers within 2023-2024 timeframe, approaches, or articles that are similar or related, putting the authors in conversation with each other in 4000 or more words. You need to identify and download 25-50 recent peer-reviewed articles published in 2023-2024 about your topic to connect, synthesize, and evaluate the information.
An effective literature review fulfills three purposes:
1) Situates your work within the broader scholarly community – connects your work to the broader field and shows that your work has grown organically from current trends.
2) Shows that you have “done your homework” (and builds your credibility) by illustrating your familiarity with the major agreements, debates, and critical findings of the field.
3) Illustrates a “gap” in this previous research—a gap that can be filled by your unique and novel research contribution.
Most of the literature reviews you will encounter are introductory sections to research papers (i.e., proposals, journal articles, theses, etc.), but you may also encounter stand-alone literature reviews that summarize the state of research in a particular field or topic area. It is important to understand the purpose of your literature review so check with a professor if you have questions.
How Do I Write a Literature review?
An effective literature review CONNECTS and GROUPS relevant research based on common themes or trends. Each paragraph should discuss one specific trend, not one specific author.
In general, the topic sentences in a literature review should illustrate the connection across multiple studies: the common agreement/disagreement, the similar focus or the related limitation. Below are some common phrases for connecting studies by showing agreement and disagreement
Use the following phrases to highlight agreement.
o “One trend in the research is….”
o “Research seems to agree that….”
o “Numerous authors support the claim that….”
o “There is strong convergent evidence for….”
Or disagreement
o “The evidence on X is mixed for….”
o “There is overall debate regarding….”
o “A lack of consensus exists on the point of…”
o “There are two conflicting camps on the issue of….”
Below is a brief annotated example of how to write a literature review. However, to provide a meaningful literature review and debate on your assigned topic, you need to include more detailed discussions, resources, and analyses. Your review should be 4,000 words or more and include diagrams, tables, equations, and references. Additionally, you must adhere to the required formatting guidelines and the structured layout (including sections and subsections) of your literature review.
Due to the sensitive nature of passwords, acquiring high-quality password corpora for analysis can be difficult [Summary of research trends]. Data sets that were used in previous work on passwords have all been non-ideal in at least one dimension.
A review of the literature shows that many researchers use password corpora collected from various security leaks [14, 24, 26, 35, 53, 55] [Research trend]. [Assesses limitations of previous research] These corpora tend to be very large (tens of thousands to millions), and they represent in-use passwords selected by users. While this approach has many benefits, these passwords come with no contextual information about how they were made or used, and the released lists are difficult to verify. Furthermore, the largest leaks thus far have come from low-value accounts with weak password-composition policies, such as the RockYou gaming website. In addition, if the password file is encrypted or hashed, only those…
On the other hand, there is an extensive literature that describes researchers asking users to self-report password information [Research trend], including both password composition details and user sentiment information, instead of collecting passwords expressly for an experiment [7,33,37,47, 49,58]. [Assesses limitations of all previous research] While self-reported data can be very useful and can provide a lot of context, it cannot always be considered reliable, particularly with regard to a sensitive topic like passwords.
Finally, a small number of researchers have been able to work with large organizations to collect authentic data [Research trend]. [Indicates method weakness with all studies] Florêncio and Herley used an opt-in component of the Windows Live toolbar to collect … Bonneau worked with Yahoo! to analyze plaintext passwords … Both studies include very large, reliable samples, as well as good contextual information. Due to security concerns, however, in both studies researchers were able to record only extremely limited information about the content of the passwords, precluding many…. [Connects to current study] In contrast, our paper connects information about each user with analysis of that user’s plaintext….
In this paper, we overcome many limitations of past studies. [Illustrates how current study overcomes limitations of previous research] Our password corpus includes more than 25,000 real passwords, created by users for frequently used, high-value accounts unrelated to our research context. We have indirect, yet extensive, access to plain-text passwords, allowing us to perform more complex and thorough analyses than was possible for other similarly authentic corpora.
Required Formatting
1) Resources: You need to identify and download 25-50 recent peer-reviewed articles published in 2023-2024 about your topic to connect, synthesize, and evaluate the information.
2) Pages/Words: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The length should be dictated by the breadth of the topic and the requirements of the assignment or publication. Typically, literature reviews are in 4000 or more words but can be much longer in some cases. Please note that submitting less than 4000 words will result in a grade of zero for this assignment.
3) Margins: Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
4) Line Spacing: Double-spacing is standard for the body text; single-spacing can be used for block quotations and references.
5) Paragraphs: Use a first-line indent for paragraphs; block format can be used for headings and subheadings.
6) Font Type/Family: Use a standard, easily readable font. Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are common choices in academic writing.
7) Font Size: 12pt for the main text is standard; 10-11pt can be used for footnotes and figure captions.
8) Number of Figures: Use figures and tables only as needed to illustrate key points or summarize information.
9) Captions: Every figure and table should have a caption that describes its content and relevance to the literature review.
10) Citation Style: Use a consistent citation style throughout your review. APA, MLA, and Chicago are common.
11) Reference List: All sources cited in the text should appear in the reference list at the end of your document.
12) Proofreading: Check for spelling and grammar errors and ensure clarity and coherence in your writing.
13) Plagiarism: Make sure to paraphrase correctly and cite all sources to avoid plagiarism.
Required Structure (section titles, but feel free to add more subsections)
1) Topic Title: Title, your name, and your institution/college/department.
2) Abstract: literature reviews start with an abstract that summarizes the key points.
3) Introduction: Define the topic, provide an overview of the review, and state the objectives or research questions.
4) Body: Organize the literature into subsections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theories, methods, and results.
a. Relevant Theories
b. Methods
c. Results
5) Conclusion: Summarize the major contributions, note the current state of research, and suggest areas for future work.
6) References: Use a consistent citation style throughout your review. APA, MLA, and Chicago are common. Your resources must include studies published recently, specifically within the 2023-2024 timeframe.
Remember that a literature review is not just a list of summaries, but a critical analysis that makes sense of the corpus of literature. It should identify gaps, inconsistencies, and the need for additional research. The formatting should support the readability and organizational structure of the document. Always adhere to the listed above guidelines provided.