Course Coordinator:Andrew Lang (alang1@usc.edu.au) School:School of Science, Technology and Engineering
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton BayUniSC Adelaide |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Online |
Online | You can do this course without coming onto campus, unless your program has specified a mandatory onsite requirement. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
With the increase of online and digital presence, the importance of security is becoming more apparent. Through this course you will learn the foundations of computer security including network security, device security and cyber security. This includes identifying the various security threats and developing ethical approaches to mitigate them.
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – Asynchronous learning material | 1hr | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Seminar – On campus seminar | 1hr | Week 1 | 2 times |
| Online | |||
| Learning materials – Asynchronous learning material | 1hr | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Online workshop | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Seminar – Online seminar | 1hr | Week 1 | 2 times |
100 Level (Introductory)
12 units
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Describe the structure of various networks and devices and the associated security processes and methods necessary to keep them secure | Knowledgeable |
| 2 | Compare and contrast the the various components of smart devices and the Internet, the types of information they share, and how they may be exploited by attackers. | Knowledgeable |
| 3 | Identify and discuss the ethical, social and societal costs to individuals and the community from security threats |
Ethical Sustainability-focussed |
| 4 | Analyse and communicate current cybersecurity threats, risks and vulnerabilities to a variety of technical and non-technical audiences. | Engaged |
| 5 | Identify and analyse significant cybersecurity challenges that threaten individuals and organisations and make recommendations to mitigate those threats |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker Engaged |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Not applicable
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Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Students will participate in continuous peer and self-assessment during tutorials and assessments.
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Written Piece | Individual | 20% | 1500 word equivalent |
Week 5 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 2 | Oral and Written Piece | Group | 40% | 1500 words equivalent, PowerPoint presentation delivered as part of a group |
Week 10 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 3 | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled | Individual | 40% | 2 hours |
Week 12 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Cybersecurity Analysis Report | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | This task is designed to sharpen your analytical skills and deepen your understanding of how cybersecurity defences can be compromised. |
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| Product: | Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Written report, submitted online |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Problem solving, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Cybersecurity Scenario | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | Given a cybersecurity scenario, this group assessment measures your ability to plan and execute a cybersecurity approach and to present your position to an audience of your peers. |
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| Product: | Oral and Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | PPT presentation, slides uploaded online and oral either presented in class or online (details will be on Canvas) |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:Final Exam | ||||||||||||||||
| Goal: | Answer a series of questions (mix of styles) relating to cybersecurity threats, mitigation strategies, policies and procedures, education and training. |
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| Product: | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled | |||||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | ||||||||||||||||
| Format: | Online exam |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Recommended | Joseph Migga Kizza | 2024 | Guide to Computer Network Security | 6th | Springer |
| Recommended | William Stallings,Lawrie Brown | 2024 | Computer Security | 5th | Pearson Higher Education |
This is a basic, entry level course which does not require any formalised computer or networking experience. To access the course, students need access to a computing device or laptop running a current operating system capable of accessing MS Sway, Canvas, and the Internet. The device should also a graphics card and applicable software able to either play or stream multimedia content.
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.
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