Module SOC3129 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SOC3129: Cybercrime
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
This module has two main aims. The first is to provide you with a broad understanding of the various forms of cybercrime; such as phishing scams, malware attacks, intellectual property theft, online sex crimes, disinformation, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-war. Developing your understanding of these different types of crime will also involve you gaining an understanding of how the internet works, the current and ever-changing legal frameworks concerning such online behaviours, and the different forms of cyber-criminals that exist and the different types of targets that their acts cause issues for, such as individuals, organisations, and nation states.
The second involves introducing you to some of the basic techniques used by both law enforcement agencies and the private sector in order to detect, investigate and prevent cyber-attacks. This will involve you learning about investigative tools pertaining to areas such as domain registration data, IP address data, and geolocation. This aspect of the module will be taught to you via practical lab-based sessions which will teach you some of the open source tools that are used by investigators in order to demonstrate how threat actors can be identified and their webs of connected holdings can be mapped for defensive (or offensive) purposes, and how these techniques have been used in high-profile cybercrime cases.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate a good knowledge of cybercrime and related behaviours, their various forms, their wider implications, and methods used to investigate them 2. Develop a high level of confidence in the use of basic investigative tools and critically assess the data gained from them 3. Demonstrate a high level of computer literacy so as to understand the ramifications of cybercriminal behaviours |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Critically reflect on the role and impact of cybercrime within the wider context of crime more generally 5. Demonstrate an understanding of the evolutionary arms race between new methods for committing crime and crime detection and investigation methods 6. Critically evaluate the impact on theoretical criminological models of increased, and diversified, internet-crimes and subsequent changes to law enforcement approaches |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. Demonstrate ability to work as part of a group on a joint project 8. Demonstrate written analytical skills by producing an essay and technical report to a deadline 9. Demonstrate the ability to present group-based work in a professional manner |
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 assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation to module lead | 10 minutes | 1,2,3,7,9 | Verbal, 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.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 2,000 words | 1,3,4,5,6,8 | Written feedback |
| Technical report | 50 | 2,000 words | 1,2,3,7,8,9 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
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 assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,000 words) (50%) | 1,3,4,5,6,8 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Technical report | Technical report (2,000 words) (50%) | 1,2,3,7,8,9 | August/September reassessment period |
