Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC2121: Cybercrime

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following themes:

  • Introduction: What is cybercrime? How do computers and the internet work? The deep and dark webs.
  • Challenges to law enforcement
  • Hacking and intellectual property theft
  • Fraud and Malware
  • Sex crimes and online harassment
  • Disinformation
  • Cyber-terrorism
  • Cyber-warfare
  • Digital forensics, examining forensic evidence, and legal challenges
  • Cybercrime, social theory, and the future of internet-based crimes and deterrents

Lectures will be complemented by practical lab-based sessions, which will focus on teaching basic open-source investigation tools that the students will use for their assignments and which will enable them to better understand law enforcement and private sector approaches to tackling cybercrime.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
331170

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities1111 x one hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities126 x two hour labs
Guided independent study36Course readings and other multi-media content
Guided independent study25Reading/research for essay
Guided independent study59Group work/research for technical report

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Group presentation to module lead10 minutes1,2,3,7,9Verbal, written provided to the group

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay502,000 words1,3,4,5,6,8Written feedback
Technical report502,000 words1,2,3,7,8,9Written feedback

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
EssayEssay (2,000 words) (50%)1,3,4,5,6,8August/September re-assessment period
Technical reportTechnical report (2,000 words) (50%)1,2,3,7,8,9August/September reassessment period