Program Overview

Introduction to COMP2320 Offensive Security

COMP2320 is a practice-oriented unit that provides an introduction to ethical hacking and offensive security. The unit emphasizes ethics and ethical behavior as students are exposed to penetration techniques and methods. Students are taught how to systematically look for and exploit vulnerabilities in software, protocols, and systems to report those vulnerabilities and improve safety.

General Information

• Unit Convenor and Teaching Staff: Lecturer and Unit Convenor Damian Jurd, Lecturer Natasha Fernandes
• Credit Points: 10
• Prerequisites: None
• Corequisites: COMP2110 and (COMP2250 OR COMP2270) and COMP2300
• Co-badged Status: COMP6320
• Unit Description: This unit introduces students to ethical hacking and offensive security, focusing on ethics, penetration techniques, and methods to exploit vulnerabilities for improving system safety.

Learning Outcomes

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

• Explain the importance of ethics and ethical behavior in relation to offensive security and penetration testing.
• Perform scoping, vulnerability scanning, and reconnaissance on a range of devices, platforms, protocols, systems, and organizations.
• Exploit vulnerabilities for various purposes, including access control, payload delivery, and privilege escalation.
• Effectively communicate results verbally and in writing to technical and non-technical audiences.

General Assessment Information

Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit, students must:

1. Attempt all assessments.
2. Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%. There are no hurdle requirements for the unit.

Late Assessment Submission

Late assessments are not accepted unless a Special Consideration has been submitted and approved.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy supports students impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable, and significantly disruptive, affecting their performance in assessment.

Assessment Tasks

• In-class Exercises: 30% (No hurdle, due in Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11)
• Practical Exams: 60% (No hurdle, due in Weeks 5, 9, and 12)
• Research and Presentation: 10% (No hurdle, due in Week 13)

In-class Exercises

Assessment Type: Practice-based task Indicative Time on Task: 15 hours Due: Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11 Weighting: 30% During workshops, students complete in-class exercises related to the week's lecture topic.

Practical Exams

Assessment Type: Practice-based task Indicative Time on Task: 30 hours Due: Weeks 5, 9, and 12 Weighting: 60% Practical exams are conducted as group exercises, with students submitting reports for individual assessment.

Research and Presentation

Assessment Type: Presentation Indicative Time on Task: 5 hours Due: Week 13 Weighting: 10% Student groups research a well-known vulnerability and provide a presentation and demonstration.

Delivery and Resources

Week 1

Each week, students participate in a scheduled two-hour practical workshop. Details of scheduled classes are on the timetables webpage.

Textbook and Reading Materials

COMP2320 is practice-oriented, with practical exercises and lecture notes making up the bulk of the learning material. Additional reading materials are provided on iLearn as required.

Technologies Used and Required

COMP2320 is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) unit. Students must bring their own laptop (Windows, Mac, or Linux) to workshops, install and configure required software, and incorporate secure practices into daily work routines. The laptop must be capable of running a Kali Linux virtual machine, with at least 120GB of free disk space, 8GB of memory, and 4 CPU cores.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies:

• Academic Appeals Policy
• Academic Integrity Policy
• Academic Progression Policy
• Assessment Policy
• Fitness to Practice Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
• Special Consideration Policy

Changes from Previous Offering

Student feedback from the previous offering was positive, with clarity around assessment requirements and support from teaching staff praised. No changes to the unit delivery are planned, but there will be continued efforts to improve support and student engagement.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students, including:

• Academic Success
• Library support
• IT Support
• Accessibility and disability support
• Mental health support
• Safety support
• Social support
• Student Advocacy

Academic Integrity

Macquarie University values academic integrity, which is at the core of learning, teaching, and research. Resources and services are available to help students meet expectations, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development, and wellbeing consultations.