Unit Outline

This unit focuses on the advanced concepts and implementations of cybersecurity solutions applied in organisational settings. The unit discusses cybersecurity frameworks and incident response processes from the applied perspective of security measures. Moreover, this unit provides a capstone-like experience through a project in which students apply their skills by developing a cybersecurity solution for a known cybersecurity threat. The project involves planning, analysis, design, implementation, and testing of the solution within an agreed time frame. The eForensics aspect of this unit introduces the fundamentals of the digital forensic process, applied tools, and techniques. Students develop their digital forensics skills by participating in a series of hands-on exercises where they apply an industry-proven eForensics toolkit for evidence acquisition, processing, and analysis.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Analyse modern-day digital security and safety measures required to design an effective cybersecurity solution
2	Design and implement a cybersecurity solution using preventive measures by applying ICT tools, techniques, and professional standards.
3	Explain the role of digital forensics in cyber security.
4	Justify the application of eForensic tools in digital forensics scenarios.
5	Evaluate eForensic artefacts by applying principles and techniques of digital forensics.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	KIT215

Alterations as a result of student feedback

1. In-semester test/quiz worth 5% is included that covers the topic of Cybersecurity Frameworks. The quiz is due in week #3.
2. Workshops are introduced to replace lectures for interactive learning experience.
3. Structure of tutorials is updated.

Teaching arrangements


ATTENDANCE MODE	TEACHING TYPE	LEARNING ACTIVITY	CONTACT HOURS	FREQUENCY
On Campus	Lecture	A real-time (i.e. synchronous) interactive activity involving the whole class whose primary purpose is the presentation and structuring of information/ideas/skills to facilitate student learning. All students are expected to attend.	2	Once only (3 times)
	Workshop	A structured real-time (i.e. synchronous) activity that involves a mix of presentation of new information/ideas/skills and guided activities related to that information/ideas/skills. All students are expected to attend.	2	Once only (8 times)
	Tutorial	A structured real-time (i.e. synchronous) activity in a small-group setting where the primary purpose is the clarification, exploration or reinforcement of subject content presented or accessed at another time or place (e.g. lecture, preparatory work). It is reliant on student-teacher and student-student interaction and dialogue for achievement of its learning outcomes. The students enrolled in the tutorial are expected to attend.	2	Once only (3 times)
	Independent Learning	Involving reading, listening to audio, watching video, and/or completing exercises and/or quizzes, self-study is individual work undertaken when the student chooses (i.e. asynchronous), most likely through engagement with MyLO. The content is examinable, and may need to be completed prior to attending classes and/or attempting assessment tasks.	1.50	Weekly

Attendance/Engagement Expectations

It is expected that you will attend all on-campus and onsite learning activities. This is to support your own learning and the development of a learning community within the unit.

If you miss a learning activity for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness, family commitments) teaching staff will attempt to provide alternative activities (e.g., make up readings) where it is possible.

If you are unable to attend regularly, please discuss the situation with your course coordinator and/or our UConnect support team.

How will I be Assessed?

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT TASK 1:	Cybersecurity frameworks quiz	Week 3	5 %	LO1
ASSESSMENT TASK 2:	Cybersecurity incident analysis	Week 6	15 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
ASSESSMENT TASK 3:	Cybersecurity Project design	Week 7	20 %	LO1, LO2
ASSESSMENT TASK 4:	Digital Forensic Tools Survey	Week 10	15 %	LO3, LO4
ASSESSMENT TASK 5:	Forensics toolkit assignment	Week 12	25 %	LO4, LO5
ASSESSMENT TASK 6:	Cybersecurity Project Implementation	Week 13	20 %	LO1, LO2

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Cybersecurity frameworks quiz

TASK DESCRIPTION:

This is an individual assessment that consists of a quiz (worth 5%), covering the topic of cybersecurity frameworks. The quiz will have 10 multiple-choice questions, which must be completed in one attempt and within 30 minutes of total time.
Week of distribution and due date: The quiz will be available after the second-week workshop. Students will have one week to complete the quiz.

TASK LENGTH:

30 min.

DUE DATE:

Week 3

WEIGHT:

5 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Answer questions correctly on the cybersecurity framework based on framework specifications	LO1

Assessment Task 2: Cybersecurity incident analysis

TASK DESCRIPTION:

Students will work in groups to investigate a cybersecurity incident of high impact by following the "Anatomy of a cyber-attack" guidelines provided in the second lecture. The outcome of this research will be a 15-minute presentation by each group. This presentation will explain the background, timeline, impact, and preventive measures in relation to the incident. The presentation will also cover non-technical perspectives such as the impact of the incident w.r.t economic, social, legal, and ethical factors. This assignment will enable students to evaluate the current cybersecurity measures, their impact on individual, organisational and societal levels, and their limitations so that an effective cybersecurity solution can be devised.
Week of distribution and due date: The assignment specification with example topics will be made available in week 3 on MyLO. Student groups will select the topic of their interest and research the relevant cybersecurity incident. The assessment will be due in week 6.

TASK LENGTH:

15-20 slides, depending on the incident under discussion

DUE DATE:

Week 6

WEIGHT:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Analyse a high impact cybersecurity incident and present the research using the required template	LO1, LO2
2	Evaluate the technical and non-technical factors of the incident	LO1, LO3
3	Recommend and justify appropriate countermeasures to defend against similar cybersecurity threats.	LO1

Assessment Task 3: Cybersecurity Project design

TASK DESCRIPTION:

Students will work in groups to design an ICT solution for an organisational scenario that captures a particular cybersecurity threat to the organisation. For the project's design, students will produce requirements, design artefacts, and test scenarios. This assignment will enable students to work as a team to complete the design phase of an ICT solution to a known cybersecurity threat by following an industry-like development plan.
Week of distribution and due date: The project topics will be shared with the students during the week 2 workshop. The design document will be due in week 7.

TASK LENGTH:

A design document with approximately 3 high-level use-cases, depending on the topic of the project.

DUE DATE:

Week 7

WEIGHT:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Analyse a modern-day cybersecurity threat or a problem with limited solutions in place.	LO1, LO2
2	Complete a project plan document with requirements specifications, and use case.	LO1, LO2
3	Produce a project design document with industry-standard design artefacts	LO2
4	Produce a test plan document with 2 test scenarios per use case	LO2

Assessment Task 4: Digital Forensic Tools Survey

TASK DESCRIPTION:

Students will work in groups to evaluate 3 current state-of-the-art digital forensics tools and toolkits. The outcome of this assignment will be a 4-page survey that (1) explains the feature set of each tool; (2) provides a tool comparison matrix; and (3) identify specialised cybersecurity use cases for each tool; This assignment will enable students to develop the knowledge of current industry-applied digital forensics tools; moreover, the understanding of unique situations and scenarios in cybersecurity domain for which specialised tools and protocols are required.
Week of distribution and due date: The assignment will be available in week 5 on MyLO. The survey report will be due in week 9.

TASK LENGTH:

2000 words

DUE DATE:

Week 10

WEIGHT:

15 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Provide evaluation of 3 industry-proven digital forensics toolkits	LO3, LO4
2	Develop a comparison matrix with a complete feature set of tools covering all 5-steps of digital investigation	LO4
3	Identify specialised and unique use cases for each tool under evaluation	LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 5: Forensics toolkit assignment

TASK DESCRIPTION:

This is an individual assessment in which students will apply their skills in using Access Data's forensic tools including Imager, Registry Viewer, and FTK. The assignment will enable students to apply digital forensics principles and techniques to a variety of eForensics artefacts. The assignment will be submitted as a Word document which will reflect the outcomes of the steps taken by the students during the investigation process.
Week of distribution and due date: The assignment will become available in week 8. The investigation process will take place during the eForensic tutorials in weeks #8, #10, and #12. The outcome of each tutorial will be submitted as a component of the assessment. The final component of the assessment must be submitted on MyLO by the end of week 12.

TASK LENGTH:

~6 hrs. 2 hrs per module covering evidence acquisition, analysis, and reporting

DUE DATE:

Week 12

WEIGHT:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOME


1	Acquire eForensic artefacts with forensic integrity intact	LO4, LO5
2	Investigation and evaluation of the key eForensic artefacts	LO5
3	Report key eForensics artefacts post-investigation	LO4, LO5

Assessment Task 6: Cybersecurity Project Implementation

TASK DESCRIPTION:

Students will work in groups to develop an ICT solution for an organisational scenario that demonstrates a particular cybersecurity threat to the organisation and implements preventive measures. For the development of the solution, students will follow the project plan, design specifications and test scenarios. For the submission along with the project repository, students will submit the post-implementation analysis to address the technical and non-technical aspects of the project. The technical aspects include implementation challenges, limitations and test outcomes. The non-technical aspects address the social, legal, and economic factors associated with the project. This assignment will enable students to work as a team to produce an ICT solution to a known cybersecurity threat by following an industry-like development plan.
Week of distribution and due date: The assignment specification will be shared with the students in week 6. The project repository with the video demonstration and post-implementation analysis report is due in week 13.

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late Penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.