ITO5163 · Introduction to cryptography for cybersecurity

Overview

The unit aims to provide you with in depth knowledge of techniques required to deal with security problems in information systems. The main areas of study include symmetric and asymmetric encryption techniques, cryptographic hash functions with related topics of message authentication codes and digital signatures. Study of techniques and algorithms for providing mutual trust include key management and distribution and user authentication to establish trust in the identity of communicating partner are also included. It looks at various management issues, including use and abuse of encryption, distributed systems authentication and integrity management. A range of security applications are used as examples. You will learn how to apply cryptographic techniques in practice.

Areas of study: Network and security

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

In-semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Critically assess threats, vulnerabilities and risks to an organisation's information assets and propose control technologies and techniques which can be applied to reduce the security risk;
2. Apply a variety of cryptographic algorithms to develop methods to disguise information to ensure its integrity, confidentiality and authenticity;
3. Apply a variety of methods for key management and distribution and analyse the risks associated with the various approaches;
4. Implement user authentication and access control mechanisms to create a security architecture to protect the assets of the information system;
5. Demonstrate the use of cryptographic techniques to preserve the security of information and evaluate its effectiveness;
6. Apply a variety of security control technologies to IT systems in an organisation.

Workload

A minimum of 144 hours over the 6 week teaching period should be used to complete assignments, participating in discussions, private study and revision.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.