Year 1 core modules

• Introduction To Programming

  This module provides an introduction to high level programming, requiring no prior programming experience. Students will use industry-standard tools and techniques to design, implement, test and document simple programs using a current programming language such as C#, Java or C++. The module will enable students to understand the principal components of a high-level program, laying the foundation for subsequent modules requiring structured programming ability. It will emphasise the principles of good programming practice and introduce the techniques required to develop software which is robust, usable and efficient. Assessment will consist of two staged assignments, with feedback to the student being provided at each stage to support the development of sound programming skills. By the end of the module, students should have sufficient mastery of a high-level programming language to allow them to design, implement and test simple programs. The skills taught within the module are intended to be directly transferable to the workplace and to provide a suitable foundation for students who will be expected apply programming skills in their later studies and future career.

• Strategies in Forensic Computing

  This module introduces the student to the legal and practical aspects of search and seizure of digital evidence. Typically digital data will be retrieved from a given crime scene scenario, the recovery of data along with its scientific analysis is investigated and carried out in laboratory sessions. Students will review current Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guide lines and apply these to their work. Typical, industry standard toolkits will be used along with more low level hexadecimal editors having been introduced in the earlier pre-requisite module The results from these methods will be compared and contrasted and conclusions drawn from their use. The practical skill of reverse engineering techniques will be introduced and applied to work undertaken. The legal and ethical procedures and restraints are presented as well as the formal method of presentation of such data within class sessions.

• Operating Systems

  This module will introduce students to the fundamental features of modern operating systems, their components and their use. It will look at key concepts including the kernel, memory and resource management, security and authentication and command line and graphical user interfaces (GUI). Case studies will be used to familiarise students with the history and features of Windows/MS-DOS and Linux/Unix. The module will also introduce students to the command line interface (CLI) commands and scripting in both the Windows CLI and a Linux shell and allow them to develop simple scripts to automate activities in both operating system environments. It will also explain how each operating system stores configuration information and how (particularly in Linux/Unix) scripts can be used to modify that system configuration. The assessment of the module will be by coursework which will consist of a series of exercises completed during the module. The exercises will be a mix of class based tasks and researching solutions to problems set in the lectures. The skills acquired in the module will enable students to go on to study modules which involve topics such as system administration, network and server configuration and technical support all of which are key skills graduates need when working in the systems and network support industries.

• Computer Systems

  With the proliferation of computers in all walks of life it is essential for companies to have IT staff capable of specifying, installing, configuring and maintaining the company's IT resources and networks. This module ensures students have the practical skills companies look for in an IT specialist. The module investigates the components and operation of modern computer systems. It introduces students to the hardware components which enable a computer to process data and the devices which enable data to be input, output and stored. The also introduces students to the fundamentals of computer networks as modern computer systems rarely operate in a standalone manner. To properly configure a computer system or server it is necessary to have an understanding of networks. Assessment of the module is in three parts, students take multiple choice tests in class to test their knowledge of theory, they undertake a series of practical tasks written up in a logbook and they submit a written essay to test their ability to apply their knowledge.

• Digital Data and File Systems

  The module introduces the underlying principles of digital data e.g. binary and hexadecimal mathematical representation. It introduces the means by which this data is managed by an operating system (OS) and describes the more common OSs and file systems, typically DOS/Windows and Unix. The format (arrangement) of data is described and typical file formats and structures will be investigated. Students will be introduced to Forensic examination toolkits and Hex Editors that will be explored and used further in subsequent modules. The interpretation and context of digital data will be investigated. Examples will typically include data byte length and associated look-up tables i.e. Word Metadata. The module forms the basis of the Information Security and Forensic Computing degree and students will develop laboratory skills in the investigation of digital data. Students taking this module will also be required to attend a one hour class per week to study personal development planning (PDP) during which they will be required to create a PDP portfolio which must be handed in at the end of the module. Failure to do so will result in failing the module.

• UK Legal System

  This module will equip the student with knowledge of the different legal systems within the United Kingdom and the different requirements of these systems. It will look at the development of law in the English, Scottish and Northern Ireland legal systems and will examine the Jury system and the investigation of crime with each of these systems. Close examination will be made of the powers relevant to the Scene of Crime Officer/Forensic Scientist. Detailed examination will be made of the laws of evidence as they relate to the S.O.C.O./Forensic Scientist and also of the codes of practice of the Crown Prosecution Service. Access to resources will be through the library and digital library. The assessment will be through two written assignments.

Year 2 core modules

• Software Engineering

  The number, size, and application domains of computer applications have grown and most people depend on the effectiveness of software development. Therefore software products have to be efficient, of very good quality and to help us to be more efficient and productive. Software Engineering is a form of engineering that applies the principles of computer science and mathematics to achieving cost-effective solutions to software problems. The aim of this module is to give to students a real-world experience in software engineering. This module will provide students with the intellectual tools to be able to design, implement and test software systems. Built on Fundamentals of Design and Introduction to Programming, they will go through all the phases of the life cycle by taking case studies and building real software applications based on them. CASE tools are used to study topics including analysis and design in UML and managing the OO software development process. The assessment is coursework based and involves working in a team on a specific project. Students have to demonstrate that they are able to work in groups to create an application from a case study going through the whole software lifecycle.

• Network Routing

  The global Internet is a collection of networks, termed Autonomous Systems (AS), that are linked together via high-speed communication links provided by telecommunication organisations. Converged traffic, that is traffic comprising both data and voice, is routed through the network based either on policies agreed between ASs or performance metrics by routers within the ASs. Due to the complexity and dynamic nature of networks, routers use dynamic routing protocols to establish the 'best' path for traffic. This module focuses on the key concepts and protocols of network routing. It covers basic routing constructs such as: static and default routing; Interior Gateway Protocols (IGP) such as RIP, EIGRP and OSPF and introduces the Exterior Gateway Protocol BGP that is primarily used by Internet Service Providers. Classes involve a mixture of theory, delivered through a series of lectures, and practical implementation, delivered through a series of guided laboratory exercises. The module will used advanced network simulation tools to teach concepts and industry standard router platforms to teach hands-on skills. Assessment is by a case study based assignment and completion of a laboratory logbook. The case study will be centred on the design and implementation of a routed network, comprising both local and wide area networks. The module is delivered as part of the curriculum offered by The Cisco Networking Academy Program, a well-established partnership between academia and industry to provide up to date knowledge and skills required by industry and commerce. Students studying this module will be able to access on-line material via the university Virtual Learning Environment and access the laboratory remotely.

• Forensic Management

  Forensic Science in all its forms is a diverse collection of human knowledge and experience involving both the prosecution and defence, in which the correct use of scientific methods enables the court to reach a reasonable verdict with minimal dependency on subjective witnesses. The use of management techniques throughout the forensic process, in particular the crime scene, ensures that the court can be assured that reliable and accurate examination has been undertaken, at all times maintaining the integrity and accuracy of the system. In addition, the module will examine how the Crime Scene Manager is responsible for the development of staff and the control of systems, policies and procedures.

• Forensic Computing Case Studies

  In this module, working in teams, students, will be required to process a non-trivial scenario in the topic area. The approach will mirror that of a traditional project team as nearly as possible under the circumstances. Students may also be given a range of projects from which they can chose a scenario or they may choose their own with the agreement of the module leader. Some preliminary background and supporting material will be supplied to students at the start. Tutorials will consist of each group giving a progress report of the project to their module tutor. The scope of the project at each stage of the methodology used may be restricted to conform to that reasonable for the time allocation and the chosen project. There will be minimum deliverables specified for each stage of the methodology, and the group will be assessed against the completeness, correctness and quality of each deliverable. Each group will present their project to one or more members of the module team including possibly staff and students from the Anglia Ruskin Law School. This module gives the group members the chance to use the knowledge, skills and experience from Level 1 modules on a larger, less bounded problem. On completion of the module the student should appreciate the difficulties and tradeoffs involved in real-world situations, working in groups, whilst maintaining legal, ethical and professional standards. Assessment will consist of full documentation of the project including a formal logbook of actions taken together with a group presentation of the project lifecycle and findings, including discussion of group performance.

• Computing Research Methods

  The aim of this module is to provide students with experience of topic specific research and the analysis and application of that work in order to carry out a computer science based project in their final year. The module will include help with the selection of a suitable project, often with advice from the potential supervisor, instruction on how to use relevant sources of published information, carrying out a literature survey on the subject of the planned project; the writing of a literature review and project plan; and instruction in appropriate research and analysis methods. Students will be given instruction in risk and/or hazard assessment and the ethical and legal considerations of the work to be undertaken. Students may also be required to give a short presentation of their project plans to their peers. Assessment for the module will involve writing a report which will typically include a project proposal (possibly talking into consideration ethical and risk assessments) and a literature review on one or more topics.

• Digital Security

  Digital security is an important issue for all users of digital equipment, from PCs to Smart Phones and beyond. This module introduces the student to its key elements and the application of them in computing. This module will cover (but is not limited to) the following topics: Introduction: What is security (covering notions of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) Security threats and risks. Security management (ISO/IEC 17799 ISO/IEC 27000 series). Elements of cryptography: Ciphers (3DES/AES). Message Authentication codes (MACs). Public key ciphers and digital signatures (RSA). Identity verification: Use and storage of conventional passwords. Dynamic password schemes. Biometric techniques. Use of tokens (dumb and intelligent), including the use of smart cards. Access control: Access Control Lists, capabilities, security labels (MAC and DAC), and role-based access control. Authentication and key distribution: The importance and relatedness of the concepts of key management and entity authentication in a network. Objectives of an entity authentication protocol. Some fundamental protocols (e.g. Kerberos). Using authentication protocols for key distribution, and other approaches to key establishment (including public key certificates and X.509).

• PC Technology

  This module builds on the elementary material covered in 'Computer Systems' using more in depth case studies of the CPU families, motherboards and associated peripherals in modern PCs. It also looks at PC hardware and operating system technical support examining aspects such as health and safety, configuration tools and troubleshooting. Delivery is by a mixture of theory lectures and hands on laboratory tasks intended to familiarise students with both the hardware and software found in PCs. The main emphasis of the practical sessions will be on administrator and power user tools and techniques needed to both analyse and repair operating systems and their configuration. On completion of the module successfully students will have knowledge that will allow them to advise others on and implement system upgrades and make system configuration changes. It will also equip them with skills that, with experience, will permit them to start a career in PC technical support. The assessment for this module will be by an assignment and an exam both worth 50% of the overall marks.

Year 3 core modules

• Internet and Networking Security and Forensics

  This module is designed to introduce the student to the threats, methods and defensive mechanisms required to both detect and prevent internet and network threats. It builds upon foregoing modules, particularly Digital Data and File Systems, Forensic Computing and Networking Technologies module. This knowledge is then focused onto network and internet systems. Using available technical literature and case studies this module will review and analyse previous instances of mis-use of related topics such as Spam, identity theft, phishing, cookies, botnets, Wifi hijacks etc. and will investigate suitable tracking and defence mechanisms. Assessment will consist of both laboratory based work and a final essay where typically topics covered will be synthesized to provide a strategy for defence in response to a given scenario.

• Image Processing

  This module exposes the student to the theory and implementation of digital image processing algorithms. Image processing is one of the fastest growing areas in computer science; with increased computational power, it is now possible to achieve through digital means many tasks that were previously accomplished with analogue technologies. Topics addressed include image acquisition and representation, human perception and understanding, image statistics and histogram operations, enhancement, transformations, filter design, compression, segmentation, morphological operations, and pattern recognition. A goal of the module is to introduce the image processing techniques that enable students to build computer systems that analyse images automatically using applications such as face detection/recognition, medical image processing, natural image statistics, compression/encoding, and computer vision. As a vehicle to demonstrate the techniques explored in this module, students will use purpose-written programming tools and environments such as the Image Processing Toolbox within Matlab (Mathworks Inc), and GNU ImageMagick, in addition to programming from first principles using modern high-level programming languages (such as C/C++) to deepen understanding. The module examine some fundamental problems in image processing, focusing on a core set of problems where efficient and robust algorithms can be applied. Students will be required to implement a range of algorithms using real datasets. In addition to presenting practical programming techniques and algorithms, the module will introduce the student to emerging research to provide sufficient understanding to undertake novel undergraduate research projects. The assessment for this module will include an examination and a practical assignment with associated documentation.

• Mobile Technology

  This module investigates in detail the technology of "next generation" mobile devices from mobile phones to media centres. The basic communication infrastructure will be covered to establish the context of data transmission to devices including environmental issues of base station location, components and testing. The full range of current and near production devices will be evaluated, in the context of services that can be rendered to users. Extensive use of case study materials will be used to evaluate services: video, conferencing, gaming, internet rich applications and voice over IP among other applications. Practitioners will present these examples of actual and future applications wherever possible and students will be able to practically compare alternative technologies particularly for enterprise deployment. Students will be encouraged to develop their own ideas within the technology and prepare content of whatever form to be rendered and tested on mobile devices using the latest software packages. This material may be for entertainment, games, e learning/training, conferencing, or applications of existing services: e-mail, Instant messaging, news etc. These techniques will be assessed via coursework for the module.

• Networking Technologies

  This module is in two parts. The first part focuses on switching basics and intermediate routing. It covers topics such as: advanced IP addressing techniques, intermediate routing, CLI configuration of Ethernet switches and Virtual LANs. The second part focuses on WAN technologies. It covers topics such as: Network Address Translation (NAT), DHCP, WAN technologies, Optical networking, and Network Management. The module covers the material to enable students to take an optional test to achieve the Cisco certification 'Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices'. Students who study the modules Computer Systems, Network Routing and Networking Technologies will be able to take an optional external test to achieve the Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) award which is highly regarded by employers in this area. Formal module assessment includes a written multiple choice examination comprising approximately 60 questions, and a case study. The case study will be centred on the design and implementation of a network, comprising LANs, WANs and interconnecting routers. Lab exercises will also be assessed by completion of a portfolio of evidence. Optional online exercises are available for students to practice towards the final module written examination, keep track of their progress through the module and to prepare for certification. The module is delivered as part of the curriculum offered by The Cisco Networking Academy Program (CNAP), a well-established partnership between academia and industry to provide up to date knowledge and skills required by industry and commerce. The module delivery is a mixture of on-line learning materials and practice using state-of-the art facilities. Students studying this module will be able to access both the on-line curriculum and laboratory remotely.

• Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures

  The aim of this module is to give students a rounded introduction to the principles of ethical hacking from theoretical and technical perspectives and to provide a contextual setting for ethical hacking by an examination of the issues associated with systems security, computer crime and the criminal justice system i.e. Misuse of Computers Act. Students will demonstrate the ability to: Discuss the basic principles of ethical hacking and describe the role ethical hacking plays in providing more secure and robust information to support computer systems and networks (including wireless networks); Define how ethical hacking relates to, and makes use of, the underpinning theories and principles of computing and engineering; Comprehend the basic tools and techniques of ethical hacking, particularly in regard to penetration testing and systems security; Develop an understanding of the fundamental principles of systems security, particularly in relation to weaknesses and vulnerabilities; Formulate and explain simple counter countermeasures to improve robustness of system security; Develop the particular legal, ethical and professional challenges, facing the Information Security practitioner with particular reference to the criminal justice system in England and Wales and the Misuse of Computers Act; Develop academic skills in report writing and reflective practice presentations. Formative assessment activities and formative feedback (oral and written) will be provided to students through the work they do in the maintenance of logbooks, seminars, practical and laboratory sessions.

• Undergraduate Major Project

  The individual Final Project module allows students to engage in a substantial piece of individual research and / or product development work, focused on a topic relevant to their specific discipline. The topic may be drawn from a variety of sources including: Anglia Ruskin research groups, previous / current work experience, the company in which they are currently employed, an Anglia Ruskin lecturer suggested topic or a professional subject of their specific interest (if suitable supervision is available). The project topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. The chosen topic will require the student to identify / formulate problems and issues, conduct literature reviews, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable development methodologies, determine solutions, develop hardware, software and/or media artefacts as appropriate, process data, critically appraise and present their finding using a variety of media. Regular meetings with a project supervisor should take place, so that the project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction. The project developed in this module is the most substantial piece of work that the student will produce during their undergraduate studies. Thus, the choice of project topic and the quality of the work is likely to bear a great influence on the student's career/employability. Therefore, the module will also include aspects of Personal Development Planning (PDP) and CV preparation. Students are strongly advised to allocate appropriate attention, time and effort to this module. The successful completion of the module will be of great benefit to the student, as they will acquire skills directly applicable to real world projects.