Course coordinator
Associate Professor Dan Kim
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Elec Engineering & Comp Science School
Access control, Authentication, Security Models, Secret-key and Public-key Cryptography, Network Security and Application-layer Security.
The course provides students familiar with computer communications and operating systems with an introduction to the dynamic field of Information Security. Topics covered include an overview of cybersecurity, security management, vulnerability assessment, threat modeling, cyber attacks and defenses, intrusion prevention and detection, cryptographic primitives, and cryptographic protocols.
Course Changes:
- Weekly on-line quizzes (10%) have been introduced in lieu of the second assignment in previous semesters.
- There will be only one assignment (35%) in this offering of the course rather than the two assignments in previous offerings.
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that students have passed CSSE2310 (or a course with similar content).ﾠ
Students WILL require a sound understanding of operating systems principles, computer networking principles, programming (proficiency in C and Pythonﾠprogram language is essential and assembly language is required),ﾠand program execution. This is prerequisite knowledge and will not be re-taught during this course. Students will also require a general computing background consistent with having completed two years of an undergraduate degree in Computer Science / Information Technology / Software Engineering or Digital Systems Electrical Engineering. Students must understand 1) computer networks including TCP/IP basics, packet encapsulation, connection-oriented and connectionless protocols, 2) computer architecture/operating systems principles including program counters, stack and heap operations, and memory layout and 3) core computer science principles including bits, bytes, nibbles, words, big-endian, little-endian, bitwise logic operations, and also be able to convert between decimal, binary and hexadecimal without a calculator.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
CSSE2310 or CSSE7231
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
COMS3000, COMS7003, CYBR7002
Course contact
Course staff
Course coordinator
Dr David Ross
Lecturer
Associate Professor Dan Kim
Dr David Ross
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Note that the applied classes (APP) start in WEEK 2.
Students should use Allocate+ to sign-on to one APP class.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of the course is to provide students already familiar with computer operating systems andﾠnetworking with an introduction to the field of Information Security. Core concepts such as Authentication, Integrity and Confidentiality will be discussed and students will gain an understanding of the basic cryptographic primitives and protocols,ﾠsecurity solutions that are required to implement these security goals. Students will develop the skills to perform hands-on labs in the system and network security.ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
identify and describe cryptographic algorithms, compare their use, and the issues of strengths and weaknesses.
LO2.
demonstrate application and in-depth understanding of computer security technology and principles such as authentication, denial of services, intrusion detection, and firewalls.
LO3.
describe security threats and their countermeasures in software, computer systems, networks.
LO4.
evaluate security protocols and standards used to provide security for communications across the Internet.
LO5.
apply the security fundamentals to management aspects of information and computer security.
LO6.
apply and analyse current and emerging computer and network security technologies
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Quizzes
|
10% |
5/08/2025 5:00 pm 12/08/2025 5:00 pm 19/08/2025 5:00 pm 26/08/2025 5:00 pm 2/09/2025 5:00 pm 9/09/2025 5:00 pm 16/09/2025 5:00 pm 23/09/2025 5:00 pm 7/10/2025 5:00 pm 14/10/2025 5:00 pm 21/10/2025 5:00 pm 28/10/2025 5:00 pm |
| Computer Code |
Assignment
|
35% |
8/10/2025 5:00 pm
The assignment must be submitted via the link on Blackboard. Students should keep a copy of their assignment submission. The required submission procedure for the assignment will be detailed on the handout for that assessment item. Students will have to state that the submission is their original work when submitting their assignments. |
| Examination |
Final Exam
|
55% |
End of Semester Exam Period 8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Quizzes
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
5/08/2025 5:00 pm
12/08/2025 5:00 pm
19/08/2025 5:00 pm
26/08/2025 5:00 pm
2/09/2025 5:00 pm
9/09/2025 5:00 pm
16/09/2025 5:00 pm
23/09/2025 5:00 pm
7/10/2025 5:00 pm
14/10/2025 5:00 pm
21/10/2025 5:00 pm
28/10/2025 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
Weekly online quizzes will be due every Tuesday at 5:00 pm, starting from week 2. That is, the Week 1 quiz is due 5:00 pm the following Tuesday (Week 2), through to, the Week 12 quiz is due 5:00 pm the following Tuesday (Week 13). 12 quizzes will be made available in total. The answers are provided on the platform immediately on the due date, so no extensions are possible and there is an immediate 100% late penalty. Missed (or late) submissions are included in the calculations as zero marks. To accommodate unforeseen circumstances such as illness, your mark will be based on your best 10 out of the 12 possible submissions. All weeks are calculated of equal value, no matter how many marks are in any particular weekly quiz.
Quizzes will usually cover topics from the previous week or two of classes, but may cover topics from any previous week and/or may require students to do some research or reading beyond the class notes. Students are expected to take the quiz individually and on their own time and these weekly quizzes are designed to keep students up to date with the week by week teaching material. Each quiz must be explicitly submitted by the due date (i.e. quizzes are not auto-submitted).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation tools are permitted to be used in the quizzes but they are not required to be used and not recommended to be used as they may inhibit learning.
Submission guidelines
Quizzes will be undertaken through Ed Lessons via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
No extensions available and 100% Late penalty applied for the online quizzes as results and feedback are released immediately after the due date.
To accommodate unforeseen circumstances such as illness, your mark will be based on the best 10 out of 12 submissions.
If you're unable to complete the required 10 out of 12 submissions due to exceptional circumstances, please contact the School at studentenquiries@eecs.uq.edu.au.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
An immediate 100% Late penalty is applied for the online quizzes as results and feedback are released immediately after the due date.
Assignment
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Computer Code
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
8/10/2025 5:00 pm
The assignment must be submitted via the link on Blackboard. Students should keep a copy of their assignment submission. The required submission procedure for the assignment will be detailed on the handout for that assessment item. Students will have to state that the submission is their original work when submitting their assignments.
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04
Task description
Information security hands-on labs.
You are required to complete hands-on labs and the results are to be submitted to the submission site via the link on Blackboard.
Complete tasks for the assignment will be detailed on the handout for that assessment item.
Referencing and Use of AI
Note that the assignment is to be worked on individually and must be your own work except where the use of code written or provided by other entities (teaching staff, Linux man pages, AI tools, etc.) is explicitly permitted by the assignment specification. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. You must follow the referencing requirements set out in the assignment specification.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Assignments with no academic merit (e.g. entirely written by AI, with insufficient content of your own academic value) will be awarded a mark of zero.
You are encouraged to discuss the concepts behind the assignment but under no circumstances should you show your code to, or allow your code to be seen by, another student. You should not look at the code of any other student. You must sufficiently protect all electronic and paper copies of your code. All submitted code will be subject to electronic plagiarism and collusion detection. You may have to verbally answer questions about your submission as part of the assignment marking process.ﾠ
Programming Assignment Interviews
Teaching staff will conduct interviews with a subset of students about their submissions for the purpose of establishing genuine authorship. If you write your own code, you have nothing to fear from this process. If you legitimately use permitted code from other sources (following the usage/referencing requirements in the assignment specification) then you are expected to understand that code. If you are not able to adequately explain the design of your solution and/or adequately explain your submitted code and/or be able to make simple modifications to your solution as requested at the interview, then your assignment mark will be scaled down based on the level of understanding you are able to demonstrate and/or your submission may be subject to a misconduct investigation where your interview responses form part of the evidence. Interview invitations will be issued by email to your student email account at any time up until the end of week one of the exam period. Failure to respond to an interview invitation by the deadline stated in the invitation (which will be at least one week after the invitation is sent) or failure to attend a scheduled interview will result in zero marks for the assignment unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated with supporting evidence.
Hurdle requirements
There is no minimum hurdle on the assignment to pass the course, however students must perform well in the assignment to be awarded any of the higher grades (5, 6, or 7), as described in the Course grading section.Submission guidelines
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.
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.
Final Exam
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 55%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited, Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06
Task description
The exam will be an on-campus paper-based exam. This exam will be a closed book and will contain a combination of problem-solving and short/long answer questions.
Use of AI
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT
may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Students must gain at least 40% on the final exam to pass the course.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Materials | None. |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark is in the range of 0-19%. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark is in the range of 20-44%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Overall mark is in the range of 45-49%. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark is in the range of 50-64%. Students must gain at least 40% on the final exam to pass the course. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark is in the range of 65-74%. Students must gain at least 60% on the final exam and at least 60% on the assignment component to receive a grade of 5. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark is in the range of 75-84%. Students must gain at least 70% on the final exam and at least 70% on the assignment component to receive a grade of 6. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Overall mark is in the range of 85-100%. Students must gain at least 80% on the final exam and at least 80% on the assignment component to receive a grade of 7. |
Additional course grading information
Your overall mark will be calculated by combining your marks for the weekly quizzes (10%), assignment (35%), and the final exam (55%). If your overall mark finishes with a fractional component, that fraction will be rounded up to the next whole number.
For grades 5/6/7 students need to obtain minimum percentages on the exam, and on the assignment component as listed above.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Having Troubles?
If you are having difficulties with any aspect of the course material you should seek help. Speak to the course teaching staff.
If external circumstances are affecting your ability to work on the course, you should seek help as soon as possible. The University and UQ Union have organisations and staff who are able to help, for example, UQ Student Services are able to help with study and exam skills, tertiary learning skills, writing skills, financial assistance, personal issues, and disability services (among other things).
Complaints and criticisms should be directed in the first instance to the course coordinator. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may bring the matter to the attention of the School of EECS Director of Teaching and Learning.
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
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Handouts
All relevant learning material such as lecture slides, applied class, etc. will be available via course blackboard (learn) site.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Not scheduled |
Lecture |
Lectures Lectures will be dedicated mainly to presenting new concepts and topics on information security. The topics will be introduced to help students to do hand-on labs and assignments. Lecture slides are available on Blackboard. Contents for each week are on the teaching plan on Blackboard. Lectures will be recorded and available afterwards for viewing via Blackboard. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Multiple weeks |
Applied Class |
Contacts and priacticals Tutorials will be used to reinforce understanding of the course material. It is also used to help students with assignments. Active student participation is expected. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Additional learning activity information
They consist of hands-on labs, opportunities to engage with lecture content, and support for assignment by casual academics.
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.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: