COIT12201 - Electronic Crime and Digital Forensics

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This advanced unit provides you with a broad understanding of electronic crime and digital forensics in investigations of electronic criminal activities. In this unit, you will learn digital forensics procedures and tools, methods of using digital evidence in justice and legal issues in digital forensics. You will use industry leading software tools to conduct your own forensics investigation on realistic case studies. Completion of this unit enables you to pursue careers within an electronic crime investigation unit of law enforcement agencies, government departments, and businesses.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisite: (COIT11233 or COIT11238) and (COIT13147 or COIT12206)

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2025

Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Brisbane
Cairns
Melbourne
Online
Rockhampton
Sydney

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).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate 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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. In-class Test(s) 20%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Online Test 40%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 78.95% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 29.69% response rate.

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.

Source: Unit Coordinator's reflection.
Feedback
The inclusion of authentic digital forensics scenarios in the online test enhances engagement and ensures a practical and comprehensive assessment of students' understanding.
Recommendation
Continue using authentic digital forensics scenarios in the online test.
Action Taken
The online test has consistently utilised authentic digital forensics scenarios as the foundation for its questions, ensuring alignment with the recommendation and reinforcing the practical relevance of the assessment.
Source: Student Unit and Teaching Evaluations (SUTE) feedback and Unit Coordinator's reflection.
Feedback
Incorporating a simplified example of key tutorial activities in the lecture sessions can significantly enhance student understanding and application of the concepts.
Recommendation
In the lecture sessions, consider reviewing a simplified example of key activities covered in the tutorials for a better understanding.
Action Taken
Key tutorial activities were discussed in relevant lectures for a better understanding.
Source: Unit Coordinator reflection.
Feedback
The textbook is outdated.
Recommendation
Consider updating the textbook to include more recent editions or relevant resources.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Coordinator reflection and unit evaluation feedback.
Feedback
Assessment 1 quizzes are perceived as cumbersome and less engaging, particularly when compared to the hands-on lab activities that students consistently find more practical, engaging, and valuable for their learning experience.
Recommendation
Consider replacing the current Assessment 1 quizzes with an alternative assessment format, such as a portfolio, that better supports engagement and evaluates practical skills.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Unit Coordinator observation.
Feedback
The pre-requisite units COIT11233 and COIT13147 are no longer offered, but COIT11238 and COIT12206 are still valid.
Recommendation
Consider updating the prerequisite statement to reflect the current units: pre-requisite: COIT11238 and COIT12206.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Define electronic crime and digital forensics
  2. Describe the role of digital forensic professionals in investigation and prevention of electronic crime in business environments
  3. Apply a systematic approach to the capture, recording, and analysis of events in a digital forensic investigation
  4. Discuss the legal issues involved in a forensic investigation and in current professional forensic practice
  5. Prepare a design and report for a digital forensic investigation.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS), the professional association for Australia's ICT sector, recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is adopted by organisations, governments, and individuals in many countries and provides a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles. ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile.

This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA 8 (the SFIA code is included):

  • Digital forensics (DGFS)
  • Network Support (NTAS)
  • Penetration testing (PENT)
  • Problem Management (PBMG)
  • Incident Management (USUP)
  • Information security ( SCTY)

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Framework defines knowledge, skills and tasks needed to perform various cyber security roles. Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the NICE Framework is used by organisations to plan their workforce, including recruit into cyber security positions.

This unit helps prepare you for roles within electronic crime investigation unit of law enforcement agencies, government departments, and businesses, contributing to the following knowledge and skills:

  • K0003 Knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and ethics as they relate to cybersecurity and privacy.
  • K0117 Knowledge of file system implementations (e.g., New Technology File System [NTFS], File Allocation Table [FAT], File Extension [EXT]).
  • K0622 Knowledge of controls related to the use, processing, storage, and transmission of data.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - In-class Test(s) • •
2 - Written Assessment • • • •
3 - Online Test • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication • • •
2 - Problem Solving • •
3 - Critical Thinking • •
4 - Information Literacy • •
5 - Team Work •
6 - Information Technology Competence • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence •
8 - Ethical practice • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10