In Progress
Please note that this Unit Profile is still in progress. The content below is subject to change.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 - 2022
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 Teaching team
A Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document could be helpful to overcome technical difficulties related to MindTap (for example, adding the link to the whitelist).
Work with the teaching team to develop a FAQ document to list helpful tips and resources
Feedback from Teaching team
In Assignment two, students do not have many case studies to select from, and as a result have limited opportunity to apply a diverse set of computer forensics techniques.
Develop more case studies to be incorporated in Assignment two.
- 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 - 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 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | ||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 45% | ||||||||
Textbooks
Guide to computer forensics and investigations
Edition: 6th edn (2018)
Authors: Nelson, B., Phillips, A., and Steuart, C.
Cengage Learning
Florence Florence , KY , USA
ISBN: 9781337568944
Binding: Hardcover
Lab Manual for Nelson / Phillips / Steuart Guide to Computer Forensics and Investigations
Edition: 5th edn
Authors: Blitz, A.
Cengage Learning
Florence Florence , KY , USA
ISBN: 9781285079080
Binding: Paperback