Regulation, Investigation and Responses (CRIM7090)

Course overview

The threats posed to nation states, businesses, and individuals by cybercriminals are expanding in reach and developing in their levels of sophistication. The cyber security specialist of the future must possess a working knowledge of the tools at their disposal to detect, deter, defend against, and respond to these growing threats. This course will provide working knowledge of Australian and international regulatory frameworks; the techniques and challenges associated with cybercrime investigation; and the array of criminal justice system responses that are available to address cybercrime offending. Students will be introduced to cybercrime investigation methods and the cyber attack attribution-response processes employed by national agencies. The various roles and responsibilities of national and state intelligence/law enforcement agencies for cybercrime investigation and responses will also be explored, as will questions of privacy, freedom, and security.

CRIM7090 will provide students with a working knowledge of Australian and international regulatory frameworks; the techniques and challenges associated with cybercrime investigation; and the array of criminal justice system / private sector responses that are available to address cybercrime offending. Students will be introduced to cybercrime / digital forensic investigation methods as they are applied for cyber attacks committed against individuals, businesses and national agencies. The roles and responsibilities of government and private sector agencies for cybercrime investigation and responses will also be explored, as will questions of privacy, freedom, and security. Instruction in each of the four course modules will be augmented by guest presenters from law enforcement, national security and cyber security specialists.

Course requirements

Assumed background

CRIM7090 is a required course for all students undertaking the Cyber Criminology field of study in the Master of Cyber Security and Graduate Diploma in Cyber Security. Where possible, it is recommended to have previously completed the degree's interdisciplinary core courses, particularly CRIM7080 (Cyber Criminology and Global Security).

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

CYBR7001, CYBR7002, CYBR7003, CRIM7080, CRIM7010, CRIM7060, CRIM7000

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Teaching staff do not have access to the timetabling system to help with class allocation. Therefore, should you need help with your timetable and/or allocation of classes, please ensure you email the School of Social Science Administration Team at student.socsci@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email account with the following details: full name, student ID, and course code. 

Aims and outcomes

• Provide foundational knowledge of international and Australian cybercrime legislation and regulatory frameworks.
• Provide foundationalﾠknowledge of digital forensic / cyber incident investigation techniques and response options.
• Understand cybercrime regulations, investigations & responses as they relate to cybercrimes targeting individuals.
• Understand cybercrime regulations, investigations & responses as they relate to cybercrimes targeting private sector / businesses.
• Understand cybercrime regulations, investigations & responses as they relate to cybercrimes targeting government / national agencies.
• Reflect on the future challenges confronting governments, businesses and individuals from highly adaptive cybercriminals and how cybercrime can be prevented / the impacts mitigated through a collaborative cyber security posture.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Short Answer Exercise 1 (Mod 1 & Mod 2)

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

25/08/2025 11:00 am

The Short Answer Exercise will be invigilated and undertaken in the classroom during the three-hour scheduled lecture time on 25/08/25. Hard copy of the questions and answer sheets will be provided and students will be required to complete the Exercise by hand. The Exercise is Open Book and students may refer to printed lecture notes, lecture slides and course readings. The use of a hardcopy Language Other Than English (LOTE) dictionary is also allowed.

Other conditions

Secure.

See the conditions definitions

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

The Exercise is to be submitted to the Course Coordinator / Assessment Supervisor in the classroom by 2pm on 25/08/25.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

If a student is unable to complete the Short Answer Exercise in the classroom on 25/08/25, a request to re-schedule under the same supervised conditions will be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ . A request for re-scheduling must be accompanied by supporting documentation (e.g a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ.).

You can request a deferred exam if you can provide evidence of unavoidable circumstances that prevented you from sitting your original exam at its scheduled date and time. Your application must include supporting evidence. The request will be assessed based on the evidence you provide when you apply. 

An application on the basis of a Student Access Plan (SAP) alone will not be accepted. If you are applying on medical grounds, a medical practitioner must assess your condition and provide a signed medical certificate that covers the day of the examination. You must obtain a medical certificate no later than two business days after the date of the original examination. Further details of acceptable evidence for deferred examination can be found here. 

For information on eligibility and application instructions, please view the following page on myUQ: Deferring an exam - my.UQ - University of Queensland 

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Short Answer Exercise 2 (Mod 3 & Mod 4)

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

30%

Due date

13/10/2025 11:00 am

The Short Answer Exercise will be invigilated and undertaken in the classroom during the three-hour scheduled lecture time on 13/10/25. Hard copy of the questions and answer sheets will be provided and students will be required to complete the Exercise by hand. The Exercise is Open Book and students may refer to printed lecture notes, lecture slides and course readings. The use of a hardcopy Language Other Than English (LOTE) dictionary is also allowed.

Other conditions

Secure.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L03, L04

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

The Exercise is to be submitted to the Course Coordinator / Assessment Supervisor in the classroom by 2pm on 13/10/25.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

If a student is unable to complete the Short Answer Exercise in the classroom on 13/10/25, a request to re-schedule under the same supervised conditions will be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ . A request for re-scheduling must be accompanied by supporting documentation (e.g a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ.).

You can request a deferred exam if you can provide evidence of unavoidable circumstances that prevented you from sitting your original exam at its scheduled date and time. Your application must include supporting evidence. The request will be assessed based on the evidence you provide when you apply. 

An application on the basis of a Student Access Plan (SAP) alone will not be accepted. If you are applying on medical grounds, a medical practitioner must assess your condition and provide a signed medical certificate that covers the day of the examination. You must obtain a medical certificate no later than two business days after the date of the original examination. Further details of acceptable evidence for deferred examination can be found here. 

For information on eligibility and application instructions, please view the following page on myUQ: Deferring an exam - my.UQ - University of Queensland 

Late submission

You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.

Research Essay

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

40%

Due date

10/11/2025 2:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date. 

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted. 

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. 

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.  

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team. 

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Please note that from Semester 2, 2025 the Assessment Procedure has changed. You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time. 

The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic. 

Students who are registered with Student Support and Wellbeing Services may apply for an extension without providing documentation. This extension request must be the student’s first extension request for the assessment item. If you proceed with an extension request based on your SAP, you will be ineligible to use your discretionary extension for the same assessment item. In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require students to provide their SAP along with additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ). 

A student is eligible for a discretionary extension for one assessment task per semester for a duration of 2 calendar days or less. A discretionary extension may only be used on a student’s first extension request for an assessment task.  

A student may have a maximum of 3 extension requests approved for a single assessment task. If a third extension is necessary, you must submit an Assessment Management Plan in addition to your supporting documentation with your request. In exceptional circumstances, a fourth extension may be requested through the grievance and appeals process. 

Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.  

Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements. 

Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team. 

Extensions in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval. 

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

The final grade is determined by adding together the sum of the individualﾠassessment tasks. Grades are calculated based on the marks received.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Supplementary assessment is an additional opportunity to demonstrate that the learning requirements for an eligible course have been satisfied and that the graduate attributes for the course have been attained. Supplementary assessment may only be granted where Supplementary Assessment – procedures allow. A passing grade of 4 (or P) is the highest grade that can be awarded in a course where supplementary assessment has been granted. For further information on supplementary assessment please see my.UQ. 

Additional assessment information

Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Modules https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/ 

School Guide for Written Assessments: School of Social Science Guide for Written Assessments 

Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The marks and feedback for the final assessment item will only be made available to the student on the Finalisation of Grades date at the end of semester.  

Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result  

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

There is no set textbook for this course.ﾠA reading list organised by week and required/recommended will be available on the CRIM7090 Blackboard Site. Please refer to this for a list of all course readings.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.