Ethical Hacking
Credit points
(Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
Location
Prerequisites
VIT1202 - Operating Systems
(Or equivalent to be determined by unit coordinator)
Co-requisites
(Corequisite units must be studied concurrently with this unit)
Overview
This unit equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to adopt the mindset of hackers and apply ethical hacking techniques to uncover cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The unit covers critical concepts such as the cyber security kill chain and using frameworks that may include MITRE ATT&CK and CVEs to identify and classify vulnerabilities. Students will perform essential ethical hacking steps in a simulated environment, including reconnaissance and footprinting, enumeration, exploitation, lateral movement, access maintenance, and covering tracks. Additionally, the unit includes preparing social-engineering attacks and writing a formal pentest report.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- Describe the fundamental principles and practices of pentesting and understand the ethical implications and legal risks associated with security testing;
- Apply the pentesting frameworks to identify and classify vulnerabilities;
- Apply pentesting techniques in a simulated environment; and
- Perform a simulated cyber attack and prepare a formal pentest report.
Assessment
For Melbourne campuses
Assessment type: Laboratory Work | Grade: 25%
A set of scaffolded lab tasks with reflection on what has been learned.
Assessment type: Case Study | Grade: 50%
In class pentest assignment.
Assessment type: Test | Grade: 25%
Theory Test
Required reading
A comprehensive set of electronic unit notes will be available through VU Collaborate. Additionally, students will have access to the EC-Council lab virtual environment.
As part of a course
This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):