42037 IoT Security
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Subject handbook information prior to 2023 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): ( 32548 Cybersecurity OR (48730 Cybersecurity AND 30 credit points of completed study in spk(s): MAJ03445 Networking and Cybersecurity major BSc))
Recommended studies:
knowledge of network security, programming, and internet protocols is required. Knowledge of IoT communications and protocols is desirable.
Description
This subject provides the fundamental knowledge of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including basic components such as IoT devices, low-powered networking and middleware solutions, and the relevant security and privacy issues regarding these components. Furthermore, students gain an understanding of why traditional cyber security tools and technologies are not suitable for IoT applications, and they learn a set of practical security tools and technologies useful for building secured and trustworthy IoT applications. Students gain fundamental knowledge of secured IoT applications such as bush fire monitoring systems, secured home automation systems, and intelligent and automated vehicular transportation systems. In addition, this subject aims to teach students, through industry-driven projects, to build secure IoT applications using a simulation environment on Contiki (an open-source operating system for IoT). The project derives from real-world applications like smart home, smart office, smart health, smart agriculture, etc. Through the project, students understand the importance of securing IoT devices for a trustworthy environment.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Understand the current cybersecurity issues and challenges for the development security solutions in IoT networks |
|---|---|
| 2. | Design IoT applications that incorporate practical security tools and technologies. |
| 3. | Develop and implement secured solutions using a simulated environment such as Contiki in a team environment. |
| 4. | Produce written technical documentation for a project and present results obtained by means of experiments. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Socially Responsible: FEIT graduates identify, engage, and influence stakeholders, and apply expert judgment establishing and managing constraints, conflicts and uncertainties within a hazards and risk framework to define system requirements and interactivity. (B.1)
- Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design thinking and decision-making methodologies in new contexts or to novel problems, to explore, test, analyse and synthesise complex ideas, theories or concepts. (C.1)
- Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply theoretical, conceptual, software and physical tools and advanced discipline knowledge to research, evaluate and predict future performance of systems characterised by complexity. (D.1)
- Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating autonomously within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies
This subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies:
- 1.3. In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
- 1.4. Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline.
- 2.1. Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
- 2.2. Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
- 3.2. Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
Teaching and learning strategies
IoT security is designed for students to experience active and interactive learning opportunities. Students will engage in various settings including classes, labs, and workshops. They are required to complete reading and viewing materials before each class and each lab. This pre-work material will be used in classes and labs to help students to complete lab tasks to engage in discussions as well as to ask questions. Feedback will be communicated each week verbally during the completion of lab and class tasks. The tasks will be both individual and group work. In the latter part of the session, students will work collaboratively in workshops. Groups will discuss research and issues pertaining to the project problem. They will present the process and solutions to demonstrate applications of their learning. Verbal and written feedback will be provided during the workshops, so that students can maximize their potential.
Content (topics)
Topics in this subject include:
- IoT Security: An Overview
- IoT Security Architecture and Protocols
- IoT Authentication and Cryptography
- REST-COAP Communications for IoT Security
- IoT Forensics
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Laboratory
| Intent: | The lab presentation will provide the opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to develop IoT security solutions. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
Assessment task 2: Quiz
| Intent: | The quiz will assess the student’s knowledge about the theoretical and some practical aspects of the subject. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1 and 2 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1 and C.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
Assessment task 3: Projects
| Intent: | Students will work on projects, where they will apply skills learnt in class, labs, as well as their own research in IoT Security. Furthermore, the project presentation will assess students' presentation and report skills. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3 and 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): B.1, C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | The technical report will be less than 30 pages. The presentation will last for around 30 minutes. |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Required texts
S. Li and L. D. Xu. Securing the Internet of Things. Syngress, 2017.
Recommended texts
- B. Russell and D. V. Duren. Practical Internet of Things Security. Packt Publishing Ltd, Jan. 2016.
- S. Misra, M. Maheswaran, and S. Hashmi. Security Challenges and Approaches in Internet of Things. Springer International Publishing; 2017.
- F. Hu. Security and privacy in Internet of things (IoTs): Models, Algorithms, and Implementations. CRC Press, Apr. 2016.
References
Additional reference materials will be supplied to students when required.