Students

COMP8310 – Security Technologies and Forensic Analysis

2020 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Milton Baar
milton.baar@mq.edu.au
Contact via 04 1927 9847
By arrangement on the day of the lecture delivery
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
ITEC647 or COMP6250
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit covers the fundamental technologies and processes that underpin good systems security management within modern organisations. We consider the underlying mechanics of information and communications technology security infrastructures, risk management, attack modelling, software security, firewalls, intrusion detection and forensics.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

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

  • ULO1: Analyse the key security requirements and trends in software security and interconnected systems. Identify key threats and analysis tools to evaluate security deficiencies.
  • ULO2: Analyse techniques for exploiting software and networks. Investigate operating system and file system platforms and identify attack surface.
  • ULO3: Design and/or apply security techniques to mitigate software and network attacks. Identification of tools and recovery mechanisms, including forensic analysis and process.
  • ULO4: Evaluate security techniques used to deal with the attacks and the limitations of forensic tools.
  • ULO5: Present and discuss concepts related to software and network security at an advanced level.

Assessment Tasks

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Assessment Information

Late Submission

No extensions will be granted without an approved application for Special Consideration. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late. For example, 25 hours late in submission for an assignment worth 10 marks – 20% penalty or 2 marks deducted from the total. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

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.

Delivery and Resources

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.

Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status

This unit covers the fundamental technologies and processes that underpin good systems security management within modern organisations. We consider the underlying mechanics of information technology security infrastructures, risk management, attack modelling, software security, and forensics.

  1. Students may undertake some practical activities in the Computing Lab(s).  However, students will have a better learning experience if they provide their own laptop (Mac or Windows) that they can use when Lab access in unavailable.
  2. Major assessment tasks are based on practical tasks, and these tasks may be started in the Labs but require more time that there is available in the Labs.  These are considered "take home tasks".

Unit Schedule

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status

Unit Schedule

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:

Read these:

Week Topic Lab/Practical activity Recommended reading and/or viewing
1 Introduction No week 1 lab  
2 Risk management frameworks Lab systems setup
3 Operating systems vulnerabilities Forensic tools part 1  
4 Introduction to file systems  
5 Linux file systems

Quiz 1

Investigating Linux

 Difference Between Linux and Windows, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXZoWJVOhXI
6 Introduction to Digital Evidence and Computer Crime Forensic management tools  
7 "Big end of town" file systems Experimentation when tools fail you  
8 Mid-course review Guest Speaker  
9 Steganography

Quiz 2

Steganography lab

  
10 Introduction to cryptography Practical lab report writing  
11 Group project presentation    
12 Group project presentation    
13 Review    

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

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.