Delivery mode for all subjects is now in person: this means you are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials live and in person.
Overview
This subject will introduce you to information security and privacy from many different angles. It has a strong hands-on, real world case study, industry focus.
Examples of this focus include exposure to special industry guests who work in different aspects of the cybersecurity, entry level exposure to how cryptography works, case studies in high-profile data breaches, and human factors in information security.
The subject attracts students with a range of knowledge backgrounds, including design, science, information systems and computer science.
As such, we do not assume high levels of background in specific areas, and there are paths within the subject suitable for most levels of background knowledge.
There is no coding required as this is not primarily a technical subject. However, we also provide ways for students wanting to do deeper dives into the technical aspects of the subject.
Enterprises consist of people, processes and computer systems. This subject is about the interactions between the three.
Choosing A Tutorial and Forming A Group
You will be required to form a group of four students for the group research report and presentation.
- You must enrol in the same tutorial as your other group members to facilitate oral presentations.
- Deviations from the four-person group size will only be considered in exceptional circumstances or where there are insufficient students remaining to form a group of four.
- If you are unable to form a group, please contact the subject coordinator.
Learning Materials
The subject is divided into 12 weeks. The class will often provide lecture presentation slides after the fact, this is a pedagogical decision based on research that shows that students learn better when they take their own notes. The slides are provided as a reference for students to check their notes against.
Most weeks are accompanied by readings from the textbook which will help expand your understanding of the material we’ll cover. Our textbook is:
The web page at https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/book.html includes some free sample chapters as well as a number of teaching videos that you can use to supplement your learning.
Vale Ross Anderson, 2024.
Subject Communication
Please keep up-to-date and always check the Announcements in Ed
Post any questions to the Ed Discussion page. Read other posts and responses while you wait for a response to your query.
For sensitive inquiries use your student email address and put [INFO30006] in the subject field or attend office hours as listed on the staff page.
Assessment
The assessment structure is as follows:
| Syntax | Timing (tenative) | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Group Research Presentation | Week 6 | 10% |
| Group Research Report | Due Week 9 | 40% |
| Reflection Essay | Week 12 | 10% |
| Exam | Two Hours, Exam Period | 40% |
The written two-hour examination at the end of semester is worth 40% of your overall mark and will be open book. Further details on the exam will be provided closer to the date of the exam as the University is still finalising the exam options for staff.
A sample exam will be made available closer to the date of the exam.
There is no hurdle in this subject