Overview
In this unit, you will learn how Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure supports the operation of modern organisations. You will investigate the structure of the Internet, design wired and wireless networks, and deploy applications using virtualisation and cloud computing. You will discover mechanisms for securing ICT infrastructure and applications by studying the motivation of attackers and the common vulnerabilities they exploit. You will also learn frameworks and tools organisations use to manage cloud infrastructure, reduce cyber security risks, and deliver IT services to customers. As you explore cyber security and Internet technologies via hands-on laboratory tasks, you will reflect on the impact of those technologies on society, and your responsibilities as a future ICT professional. This unit gives you the broad knowledge of networking and cyber security that all ICT professionals require and is a starting point for a career as a cyber security analyst, cloud engineer, or network operations specialist.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Feedback from students and tutors, and Unit Coordinator reflections
The end-of-term in-class quiz has some questions that can be answered using gen AI, and therefore may not accurately measure real student performance.
Replace the in-class quiz with a formal exam that allows students to demonstrate their understanding of fundamental concepts in networking and cyber security.
Feedback from Student evaluations and Unit Coordinator reflections
The project is time-consuming to complete for some groups, especially with the effort needed to manage contributions from each group member. The project also lacks hands-on practice, resulting in low engagement in some parts.
Revise the project to focus on practical tasks of configuring a network and basic security services, reducing the amount of design and research. The practical tasks should also be introduced in the tutorials, which should reduce the total assessment workload and allow for easier distribution of tasks among group members.
Feedback from Student evaluations
The feedback on the journal and project is sometimes unclear or too generic.
Update the marking rubrics and processes so that more detailed feedback is provided, and so it is easier to connect the feedback to specific parts of the submission (e.g., refer to specific sections).