IT Security
Overview
Students who complete this unit of study will understand the nature of security threats to IT systems. Students will be familiar with the tools used by hackers and crackers and be aware of ways of identifying and rectifying security breaches and will understand how to assess the vulnerability of computing systems.
Requisites
One of:
COS10009 Introduction to Programming
OR
SWE20004 Technical Software Development
OR
COS30043 Interface Design and Development
AND
One of:
COS10005 Web Development
OR
COS10026 Computing Technology Inquiry Project
OR
COS10026 Computing Technology Inquiry Project
OR
COS10011 Creating Web Applications
AND
One of:
TNE10005 Network Administration
OR
TNE10006 Networks and Switching
08-June-2025
02-November-2025
02-November-2025
08-February-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Evaluate security of client and server computers
- Plan security audits
- Critically analyse the concepts of social engineering and physical security
- Use a variety of security-related tools to identify attacks and mitigate attacks
- Evaluate authentication and encryption systems
- Research issues in IT Security
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Online Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 8.33 | 12 weeks | 100 |
| TOTAL | 148 |
Sarawak and All Applicable Locations
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 8.33 | 12 weeks | 100 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.50 | 12 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 298 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Project | Individual | 35 - 45% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Research Project | Individual/Group | 35 - 45% | 1,2,4,6 |
| Test | Individual | 15 - 25% | 1,2,4 |
Content
- Overview of Internet Crime and computer security threats
- Operating System Flaws
- Security Tools
- System logs
- Firewalls, security: theory, practice, design
- Ports scanning, packet sniffing and intrusion detection
- Understanding and responding to security alerts
- Server technologies, risks and policies
- Vulnerability analysis and Audit
- Secure programming practices
- Script injection and input sanitizing
- Security Models
- Physical Security
- Authentication (identity, biometrics and digital signatures)
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.