Unit Synopsis
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
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 8 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the 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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2027
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).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
To see assessment details from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web 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.
Source: 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.
A formal exam was introduced in Term 1 2026. This increased the integrity of assessments, but slightly reduced the practical tasks assessed. A set of practice questions was available to students to prepare for the exam, and those who attempted the practice questions had a much higher success rate than those who did not. The formal exam should continue.
Source: 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.
The project in Term 1 2026 was updated to require students to build a portion of the network, rather than just design the network. Time was included in later tutorials for students to work on these practical tasks. These practical tasks increased the industry-relevant skills assessed in the unit.
Source: 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).
The journal rubric was changed so that students received descriptors of each level (e.g., Excellent, Good, Satisfactory) for each criteria, rather than just written comments from markers. That allowed students to see the expected levels, and reflect on how they performed.
Source: Teaching team reflections
Some lectures are too long and cover concepts that students have little opportunity to practice.
Revise the lectures to focus on key concepts (removing some of the sub-topics that are less important) and include more engaging examples that illustrate those concepts.
In Progress
Source: Teaching team reflections
The current lab environment, using a single OpenWRT device, gives limited opportunity for students to practice some aspects of networking and security.
Expand the virtual lab environment to allow students to practice more networking and security tasks.
In Progress
To see Learning Outcomes from an earlier availability, please search via a previous term.