Course coordinator
Dr Priyanka Singh
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Elec Engineering & Comp Science School
This is an introductory, inter-disciplinary course providing an overview to the key non-technical and technical concepts behind the preventative, offensive and defensive aspects of cyber security. Through coordinated lectures, expert guest lectures and tutorials covering case studies and real-world examples. The course will cover and analyse a wide range of cyber security and data-centric challenges for nations, organisations and individuals - through the lenses of computer science, political science, criminology, law, business, IT governance, mathematics and policy studies.
This module will provide ﾠyou with an interdisciplinary overview of cyber security. This course does not require you to have a technical background. Through a combination of lectures, expert guests lecturers, and tutorials covering case studies and real-world examples, the course will analyse a wide range of challenges for nations, organisations and individuals from the preventative, offensive and defensive aspects of cyber security.
You will understand the causes of cyber security related crime, their underground networks and the motivation of the actors, and consider the different strategies individuals, organisations and countries can execute in the area of cyber security. Through the lenses of computer science, political science, criminology, law, business management, IT governance, mathematics and policy studies, you will be prepared ﾠto address cyber security issues from a holistic point of view.ﾠ
You will also enjoy learning with a diversity of thought through ﾠworking in teams with peers from a wide range of professional and educational backgrounds. You will also experience and learn about the limitations and strengths of current cyber security approaches and will be challenged to think about game-changing ways to solve this interdisciplinary problem.ﾠ
Course changes in response to student feedback
The interactivity in the tutorials will be increased along with the teaching staff providing a review of the assignments after the assignments 1 and 2 are released.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Priyanka Singh
Professor Ryan Ko
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course is the flagship, compulsory, multi-disciplinary core course for the Master/GradDip/GradCertﾠof Cyber Securityﾠsuite, covering cyber security challenges from a problem-based, case study approach. It aims toﾠcoverﾠthe basics of cyber security from an interdisciplinary perspective, and exposes the need for interdisciplinaryﾠdisciplinary perspectives on cyber security problems.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Apply theory to the development of policies and best practices of cyber security.
LO2.
Describe how computer science, criminology, law, business governance, political science and mathematical disciplines relate to cyber security, and influence how they can be holistically and ethically applied as strategies to prevent and counter cyber security threats for individuals, organisations and nations.
LO3.
Strategise and design cyber security solutions as part of an interdisciplinary cyber security team.
LO4.
Formulate and investigate problems, create solutions, innovate and improve current practices in cyber security.
LO5.
Collect evidence, evaluate opinions, make decisions and to reflect critically on the justifications for cyber security policy decisions using an evidence-based approach.
LO6.
Explain and demonstrate respect for the roles and expertise of associated cyber security disciplines.
LO7.
Work as an effective member of a team, demonstrating respect for others ideas, work styles & backgrounds
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set | Tutorial exercise | 10% |
14/03/2025 2:59 pm 14/03/2025 2:59 pm 21/03/2025 2:59 pm 28/03/2025 2:59 pm 4/04/2025 2:59 pm 11/04/2025 2:59 pm 2/05/2025 2:59 pm 9/05/2025 2:59 pm 16/05/2025 2:59 pm 23/05/2025 2:59 pm 30/05/2025 2:59 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique | Assignment 1: Individual Work | 35% |
28/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique |
Assignment 2: Group Submission
|
25% |
16/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Assignment 3A: Research Paper
|
20% |
16/05/2025 2:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Assignment 3B: Seminar(Individual)
|
10% |
10/06/2025 |
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
Tutorial exercise
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
14/03/2025 2:59 pm
14/03/2025 2:59 pm
21/03/2025 2:59 pm
28/03/2025 2:59 pm
4/04/2025 2:59 pm
11/04/2025 2:59 pm
2/05/2025 2:59 pm
9/05/2025 2:59 pm
16/05/2025 2:59 pm
23/05/2025 2:59 pm
30/05/2025 2:59 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Tutorial exercises will be released each week, and due for submission prior to the corresponding tutorial session in the following teaching week (~8 days to complete each).
Students are expected to complete relevant readings and make a diligent effort to complete the tutorial exercises. These questions will then be discussed in class after submission.
There are 11 assessable tutorials, each worth 1% up to a maximum of 10% for completion. This means that each student may miss one tutorial in the semester and still be eligible for the full tutorial marks.
Criteria & Marking: Please access the profile from Learn.UQ or mySI-net to access marking criteria held in this profile.
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. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Tutorial submissions will be submitted via BlackBoard, and scanned through TurnItIn for plagiarism detection.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
No extensions are available and 100% late penalty applies for the weekly tutorials because they involve cycles of creation, moderation and practice in subsequent weeks. To accommodate unforeseen circumstances such as illness, your tutorial score will be based on the best 10 out of 11 submissions.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Assignment 1: Individual Work
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
28/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04
Task description
Assignment 1: Communicating cyber security to a variety of stakeholders
The assignment will consist of two parts:
1. Policy Brief
2. Case Study
Details will be available on Blackboard by the end of week 1. This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge about reporting cyber incidents.
Criteria & Marking:
Detailed assessment criteria will be described in the assignment sheet on Blackboard.
Submissions will be scanned through Turn-it-in for integrity checking. Email submissions are not permitted.
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. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignment will be submitted through Blackboard. Students should keep a copy of their assignment submissions. 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.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Marked assignments with feedback and/or detailed solutions with feedback will be released to students within 14-21 days where the earlier time frame applies if no extensions.
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.
Assignment 2: Group Submission
- Team or group-based
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
16/04/2025 2:00 pm
Task description
Group written assignment released by end of Week 3. Topic will be chosen from list of topics provided. This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge to analyse cyber security incidents. In this assignment, there will be some security incidents that will be presented to the students and they have to come up with a detailed incident response plan.
Criteria & Marking:
Detailed assessment criteria will be described in the assignment sheet on Blackboard.
The course coordinator reserves the right to vary group member marks in the event of varied contributions to the team effort.
Submissions will be scanned through Turn-it-in for integrity checking.
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. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignment will be submitted through Blackboard. Students should keep a copy of their assignment submissions. 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.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Marked assignments with feedback and/or detailed solutions with feedback will be released to students within 14-21 days where the earlier time frame applies if no extensions.
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.
Assignment 3A: Research Paper
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
16/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L04, L05, L06
Task description
In this assignment, students are expected to write a short paper (4-page, double column IEEE format excluding references) on a topic chosen from a list of topics.
Details will be released by end of Week 9.
Criteria & Marking:
Detailed assessment criteria will be described in the assignment sheet on Blackboard.
Submissions will be scanned through Turn-it-in for integrity checking.
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.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
To pass this course, the following conditions must be met: (a) You must achieve at least 40% in Assignment 3 (A and B combined) to pass this course. (b) Attending the Assignment 3 B seminar is mandatory to pass this course. This is the only occasion where the student identity is verified. Students must provide proper student IDs; failing to do so will result in having their grade capped at 3. (Even if a student scores 40% in assignment 3A without appearing in assignment 3B, he/she will fail the course i.e. their grades will be capped at 3).Submission guidelines
Assignment will be submitted through Blackboard. Students should keep a copy of their assignment submissions. 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.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Marked assignments with feedback and/or detailed solutions with feedback will be released to students within 14-21 days where the earlier time frame applies if no extensions.
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.
Assignment 3B: Seminar(Individual)
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
10/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L04, L05, L06
Task description
In the first exam week, students will do individual in-person seminars on the research paper submitted to Assignment 3 A. Seminars are invigilated individual exams. In accordance with UQ Assessment Policy, your presentation will be recorded.This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
To pass this course, the following conditions must be met: (a) You must achieve at least 40% in Assignment 3 (3A and 3B combined) to pass this course. (b) Attending the Assignment 3B seminar is mandatory to pass this course. This is the only occasion where the student identity is verified. Students must present in-person and provide proper student IDs; failing to do so will result in having their grade capped at 3). (Even if a student scores 40% in assignment 3A without appearing in assignment 3B, he/she will fail the course i.e. their grades will be capped at 3).Submission guidelines
Individual, Identity-verified in-person seminar of research paper from Assignment 3B to be scheduled 07/06-10/06
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
If you are unable to attend your scheduled Seminar, please submit an Extension of Assessment Due Date request through my.UQ to apply for a rescheduled assessment date.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 46 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 47 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Final Grade Calculation:
The final grade (G) of the course will be computed as follows:
Tutorials (T) Any 10 out of 11 tutorials will contribute to 10% marks in the final grade.
Assignment 1(A1) Obtained marks out of Maximum marks: 100 contributes to 35% marks in the final grade.
Assignment 2 (A2) Obtained marks out of Maximum marks: 100 contributes to 25% marks in the final grade.
Assignment 3 - 3A (A3) Obtained marks out of Maximum marks: 20 contributes to 20% marks in the final grade.
- 3B (A4) Obtained marks out of Maximum marks: 20 contributes to 10% marks in the final grade.
Grade = Round (10%*T + 35% *A1 + 25%* A2 + 20%* A3 + 10%* A4)
The percentages will be rounded off to nearest integer before the grade is computed.
For example, (a) 84.6% will round off to 85% and grade will be 7
(b) 84.5% will round off to 85% and grade will be 7 84.4% will round off to 84% and grade will be 6
(c) 84.4% will round off to 84% and grade will be 6
To pass this course, the following conditions must be met:
(a) You must achieve at least 40% in Assignment 3 (both A and B combined) to pass this course.
(b) Attending the Assignment 3B seminar is mandatory to pass this course. This is the only occasion where the student identity is verified. Students must provide proper student IDs; failing to do so will result in having their grade capped at 3.
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 and 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
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
As there are group work requirements in some of the assessment items, we recommend students to takeﾠthe UQx MOOC on effective teamworkﾠhere.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 1: Introduction Hour 1: Overview of course and basic concepts; Hour 2: Ethics Agreement, Assignment Overview, Group Formation and Expectations. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L06 |
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 12 |
Tutorial |
Tutorials Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 2: Actors and Vulnerabilities Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture Learning outcomes: L02 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 3: Threats Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 4: Computer Systems Security Hour 1: Basics of computer systems; Hour 2: Protecting and hardening systems Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Lecture 5: Business and Risk Management Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 6: Incident Response Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 7: Mathematics and Cryptography Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Lecture 8: Norms, Best Practices and Standards Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture Learning outcomes: L01, L06 |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 9: Criminology Aspects Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 10: Legal Aspects Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 11: Developing and Emerging Technologies Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture Learning outcomes: L02, L04 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Lecture 12: Skills, Education and Certifications Hour 1: Lecture; Hour 2: Expert guest lecture |
Additional learning activity information
The arrangement of guest lectures are aimed at providing students with a holistic learning experience from the academic, industry and government sectors. The course convenor will guide and coordinate with the guest lecturer the sub-topics to cover but the University is not liable for the delivered content of the guest lecturers if they are not existing full-time or part-time employees of the University of Queensland.
Depending on circumstances, guest lectures in the second hour of most weeks may be subject to last-minute changes or replaced with lectures taught by the lecturer. The course convenor reserves the right to adapt the guest lectures to the circumstances to bring the best learning outcomes for the students given the circumstances.
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 - 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: