Hurdle assessments:

• Students must achieve at least 20/40 in the final exam to be eligible to pass the unit.
• A second attempt will be provided for students that achieve a mark in the band 15/40 to 19.9/40 in the final exam.
• Students must achieve at least 15/20 in the practical lab reports to be eligible to pass the unit.
• An additional practical assessment task will be provided for students that achieve a mark in the band 10/20 to 14.9/20 in the practical lab report.

If you apply for Special Consideration for your final examination, you must make yourself available for the week after the completion of postgraduate exams.  If you are not available at that time, there is no guarantee an additional examination time will be offered. Specific examination dates and times will be determined at a later date. 

Second-chance hurdle examinations will also be offered in the week after the completion of postgraduate exams.  You will be notified of your eligibility for a hurdle retry and you must also make yourself available during that week to take advantage of this opportunity.

Technology:

• Presentations using Powerpoint
• Other computer related material

Lecture and Tutorial:

• Provided in unit schedule

All unit information will be posted on iLearn (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/). We assume that students will regularly check iLearn for information regarding lecture notes and other related resources. It should be noted that no single text book completely covers the content of this unit. Below books are recommended (not compulsory) for the course.

References:

• Harlan Carvey, Windows Registry Forensics, ISBN 9780128032916, https://www.elsevier.com/books/windows-registry-forensics/carvey/978-0-12-803291-6
• Gary McGraw, Software Security: Building Security IN, https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/software-security-building/0321356705/
• Charles P. Pfleeger, Shari Lawrence Pfleeger, Security in Computing, https://www.pearson.com.au/products/O-R-Pfleeger-Pfleeger/Security-in-Computing/9780134085043?R=9780134085043
• Hacking Exposed Malware & Rootkits: Security Secrets and Solutions, Second Edition, 2nd Edition, https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/hacking-exposed-malware/9780071825757/
• Building Secure Software, How to avoid security problems the right way, John Viega, Gary McGraw, https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/product/Viega-Building-Secure-Software-How-to-Avoid-Security-Problems-the-Right-Way/9780321624000.html
• Dafydd Stuttard, Marcus Pinto, The Web Application Hackers Handbook, Wiley, 2nd Edition, https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/the-web-application/9781118026472/chap03-sec001.html
• Howard and LeBlanc, Writing Secure Code, Microsoft Press, 2nd edition, https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/writing-secure-code/0735617228/

To successfully participate in the lab exercises and to understand the fundamentals of this unit, students should read and view the material at the following links before week 4.

Watch these:

• Binary/octal/decimal/hexadecimal number systems, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sS7w-CMHkU
• Endian concepts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvlSRs_APT4
• ASCII/EBCDIC/Unicode concepts, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0aOZuMhhhE
• Boot process, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-zWXbPh_dg
• Operating system and kernel architecture, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GDX-IyZ_C8
• Protection ring, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3HlH4IubZE

Read these:

• Introduction to operating systems, https://www.cs.uic.edu/~jbell/CourseNotes/OperatingSystems/1_Introduction.html
• Forensic analysis of smart TV: A current issue and call to arms, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1742287614000620
• How computers measure and keep time, https://www.eecis.udel.edu/~ntp/ntpfaq/NTP-s-sw-clocks.htm

*Lecture contents, order and schedule of lectures and practicals will vary depending on the class progress.

In 2019, the unit is including practical exercises in forensic discovery and in static forensic collection.  20% of the unit mark comes from the written report that is based on the practical activities.

At the end of the semester, you will receive a grade that reflects your achievement in the unit

• Fail (F): does not provide evidence of attainment of all learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; and incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.
• Pass (P): provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; and communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.
• Credit (Cr): provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; plus communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.
• Distinction (D): provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.
• High Distinction (HD): provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application.

In this unit, your final grade depends on your performance in each part of the assessment. For each task, you receive a mark that combines your standard of performance regarding each learning outcome assessed by this task. Then the different component marks are added up to determine your total mark out of 100. Your grade then depends on this total mark and your overall standards of performance.

Concretely, in order to pass the unit, you must

• obtain a total mark of 50% or higher, and both obtain a mark of 20/40 or higher in the final examination and obtain a mark of 15/20 or higher in the Practical Activities Report;
• make a reasonable attempt at the exercises in the assessment tasks;
• demonstrate that you can perform at a Functional level or higher for each criterion assessed in the Quiz and Group Project/Presentation.
• reach a Functional level or higher for each criterion assessed in the final examination.

Students obtaining a higher grade than a pass in this unit will (in addition to the above)

• have a total mark of 85% or higher and perform at distinction level or higher in the final examination to obtain High Distinction;
• have a total mark of 75% or higher and perform at credit level or higher in the final examination to obtain Distinction;
• have a total mark of 65% or higher and perform at pass level but with 50% or higher in the final examination to obtain Credit.

If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session.  By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments.  Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. You can check the supplementary exam information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination. If you are given a second opportunity to sit the final examination as a result of failing to meet the minimum mark required, you will be offered that chance during the same supplementary examination period and will be notified of the exact day and time after the publication of final results for the unit.