Overview
The continual integration of computers and the Internet into business and personal activities is creating opportunities for crimes utilising these technologies. The investigation of these electronic crimes requires specialised computer-based techniques to collect and analyse evidence. This unit equips you with a broad understanding of how electronic crimes are conducted, as well as in-depth knowledge of computer forensic investigations. Through the use of industry-leading digital forensic tools in a laboratory environment, you will develop practical skills applicable to all phases of forensic investigations. You will learn different approaches for identifying, gathering and analysing digital evidence, as well as addressing legal issues in computer forensic investigations.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite: COIT20261 Network Routing and Switching
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2019
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Students feedback
More comprehensive and constructive feedback should be given to students assessments.
Develop detailed marking criteria for assessments and encourage tutors to write detailed and constructive feedback as inline comments in the Word submission files.
Feedback from Student feedback and staff feedback
The software (e.g. OSForensics) installed in the lab is not fully compatible with lab tasks in the latest version of the Lab manual.
Update software versions in the Lab to the recommended version in the Lab manual.
Feedback from Self-reflection and staff feedback
Lab files are too large and take up too much time for students to download in the lab. Some of the required files for the lab are more than 2GB, and therefore cannot be uploaded into Moodle.
Provide alternative methods for students to access large files in class, e.g. several USB drives for distribution in class, Cloudstor for downloads.
- Discuss the different types of electronic crime and the need for a computer forensics investigation
- Analyse the role of computer forensic professionals in enabling successful investigation and prevention of electronic crime in business environments
- Apply a systematic approach in a digital investigation through the conduct of computer forensics procedures and the use of computer forensic tools
- Apply the necessary steps required for collecting, storing, analysing and validating digital evidence
- Explain the legal issues involved in a computer forensic investigation
- Evaluate current industry best practices for analysing computer forensic case scenarios.
- Information Security (SCTY)
- Digital forensics (DGFS)
- Data analysis (DTAN)
- Testing (TEST)
- Network Support (NTAS)
- Application Support (ASUP).
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | ||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 45% | ||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||||
| 4 - Research | ||||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||||
| 8 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||||
| 9 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | |||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | |||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 45% | |||||||||
Textbooks
Guide to computer forensics and investigations
- 5th edition (2016)
- Authors: Nelson, B., Phillips, A., and Steuart, C.
- Cengage Learning
- Boston Boston , MA 02210 , United States of America
- ISBN: 9781285060033
- Binding: Hardcover
Lab manual for guide to computer forensics and investigations
- 5th edition (2016)
- Authors: Blitz, A.
- Cengage Learning
- ISBN: 9781285079080
- Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
The text and lab manual are packaged together at a reduced price for students. You can purchase the pack at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code)
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
h.vu@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 11 Mar 2019Module/Topic
Understanding the Digital Forensics Professional and Investigation
Chapter
Chapter 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 18 Mar 2019Module/Topic
The Investigator's Office and Laboratory
Chapter
Chapter 2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 25 Mar 2019Module/Topic
Data Acquisition
Chapter
Chapter 3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 01 Apr 2019Module/Topic
Processing Crime and Incident Scenes
Chapter
Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 08 Apr 2019Module/Topic
Current Digital Forensics Tools
Chapter
Chapter 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 15 Apr 2019Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 22 Apr 2019Module/Topic
Digital Forensics Analysis and Validation
Chapter
Chapter 9
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 29 Apr 2019Module/Topic
Working with Windows and CLI Systems
Chapter
Chapter 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 06 May 2019Module/Topic
Linux and Macintosh File System & Recovering Graphics Files
Chapter
Chapters 7 & 8
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 13 May 2019Module/Topic
Virtual Machine Forensics, Live Acquisitions, and Network Forensics & Mobile Device Forensics & Cloud Forensics
Chapter
Chapters 10, 12 & 13
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 20 May 2019Module/Topic
Email and Social Media Investigations
Chapter
Chapter 11
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 27 May 2019Module/Topic
Report Writing for High-Tech Investigation
Chapter
Chapter 14
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 03 Jun 2019Module/Topic
Expert Testimony in Digital Investigation & Ethics for the Expert Witness
Chapter
Chapters 15 & 16
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 10 Jun 2019Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 17 Jun 2019Module/Topic
This is no exam in this unit.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Unit Coordinator
Dr. Huy Quan Vu
School of Engineering & Technology
Central Queensland University
Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Phone: +61 3 9616 0681
Email: h.vu@cqu.edu.au
1 Online Quiz(zes)
You will complete an online quiz in Moodle containing a variety of questions covering material from weeks 1 to 12 of the unit. The quiz is open book, has a duration of 60 minutes, and only a single attempt is allowed.
This assessment is to be done on an individual basis.
Review/Exam Week Friday (14 June 2019) 11:45 pm AEST
Exam Week Friday (21 June 2019)
1. Each quiz question will be multiple choice, which is randomly drawn from a large question bank.
2. The quiz will be available on the Unit Website on Moodle in Week 13. It has been set to automatically open at 9:00 am on Monday of Week 13 and automatically close at 11:45 pm on Friday of Week 13.
3. Detailed instructions about the quiz will be provided on the Unit Website on Moodle.
4. As a quiz solution will be released shortly after the quiz closing time, no late submissions will be accepted. The quiz will close on the deadline. Therefore if you have not attempted the quiz before the deadline, you will receive 0 marks.
- Discuss the different types of electronic crime and the need for a computer forensics investigation
- Analyse the role of computer forensic professionals in enabling successful investigation and prevention of electronic crime in business environments
- Explain the legal issues involved in a computer forensic investigation
- Knowledge
- Communication
2 Written Assessment
This assignment requires you to research existing computer forensic tools and apply a selected computer forensic tool to evaluate a real case problem. More specifically, you will be asked to:
1. Identify different computer forensics tools for computer investigations.
2. Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the computer forensics tools.
3. Demonstrate the suitability of the chosen computer forensic tool in the real case scenario.
4. Submit a report and give a presentation in class.
This is a group assessment, with on-campus students required to work and submit in a group of 2 or 3. Distance students may work individually.
Week 6 Friday (26 Apr 2019) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 8 Friday (10 May 2019)
You will be assessed mainly against:
1. Providing a thorough analysis on available computer forensic tools.
2. The justification of using a specific computer forensic tool.
3. Discussion on the application of the computer forensic tool for dealing with the real case problem.
4. Presenting the analysis and findings in the report.
- Discuss the different types of electronic crime and the need for a computer forensics investigation
- Analyse the role of computer forensic professionals in enabling successful investigation and prevention of electronic crime in business environments
- Apply a systematic approach in a digital investigation through the conduct of computer forensics procedures and the use of computer forensic tools
- Apply the necessary steps required for collecting, storing, analysing and validating digital evidence
- Evaluate current industry best practices for analysing computer forensic case scenarios.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
3 Written Assessment
You are to produce a forensic analysis and report for a given case study. In this assessment, you will be specifically asked to:
1. Apply the computer forensics methodologies.
2. Write an analysis of a case study.
3. Prepare an outline of a professional computer forensic plan.
Details of the case study, the questions, what you are required to submit and guidelines for approaching the assignment will be available on the Moodle unit website.
This is a group assessment, with on-campus students required to work and submit in a group of 2 or 3. Distance students may work individually.
Week 12 Friday (7 June 2019) 11:45 pm AEST
Exam Week Friday (21 June 2019)
You are assessed mainly against:
1. The justification of using the computer forensic methodology and approach.
2. Providing the resources required for a digital forensic investigation, including the skill set of team members and the tools.
3. Outlining an approach for evidence identification and acquisition.
4. Outlining the steps to be taken during the analysis phase.
5. Presenting the full investigative report.
Further details are available on Moodle.
- Apply a systematic approach in a digital investigation through the conduct of computer forensics procedures and the use of computer forensic tools
- Apply the necessary steps required for collecting, storing, analysing and validating digital evidence
- Explain the legal issues involved in a computer forensic investigation
- Evaluate current industry best practices for analysing computer forensic case scenarios.
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Research
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
- Leadership
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
