Information Security Group
Department of Mathematics
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham Hill
Egham
Surrey TW20 0EX
UK
http://www.isg.rhul.ac.uk

M.Sc. in Information Security wth Digital Forensics module

http://www.isg.rhul.ac.uk/msc

Course length

Full time - 1 year. Distance Learning - 2 to 4 years

Course description

This advanced M.Sc. degree is an interdisciplinary course taught by the Information Security Group (ISG), and security experts from industry. It is designed to produce a comprehensive education in the technical, legal and commercial aspects of Information Security.

The Digital Forensics module (IY5609 - http://www.isg.rhul.ac.uk/msc/modules/IY5609) is part of the M.Sc. in Information Security, which can be obtained in a number of different ways ranging from traditional on-campus via block-mode and part- time to distance learning. Certificate programs and continued professional development (CPD) modes are also on offer.

The objective of this module is to provide the foundations and theoretical underpinnings for an understanding of the way in which data that can subsequently be used as evidence is generated, stored, and transmitted.

Based on this, methods for the collection and analysis of digital evidence are covered which will not alter the underlying data or potentially trigger destructive mechanisms and which can be reproduced reliably.

Syllabus outline:

- Introduction to forensic science, steps from collecting data to preserving evidence, and a framework for digital forensic evidence collection and processing.

- Fundamentals of host forensics for Microsoft Windows, including kernel architecture, device driver architecture, registry, auditing, and security architecture, file system handling, and reconstruction of file and directory structures on the FAT and NTFS file system families.

- Fundamentals of host forensics for Unix derivatives using the Linux operating system as an exemplar, including kernel and device driver architecture, security and audit mechanisms, file systems and pseudo file systems, and the reconstruction of file and directory structures using UFS and Ext2/3fs as exemplars.

- Foundations of network forensics from data capturing and collection to network file systems and supplementary protocols as well as selected application-layer protocols and techniques used for identifying and reverse-engineering protocols used on networks.

- Introduction to malware including anti-forensics and propagation techniques.

- Introduction to steganographic techniques for images, video, textual data, and audio as well as steganalytical techniques for selected media types and approaches to traitor tracing.

- A survey of non-standard storage mechanisms from retention characteristics to mobile and smart phones and vehicular systems as well as network-based search and storage mechanisms.

Entry requirements

See http://www.rhul.ac.uk/graduate-school/pages/prospective.html#Applying

Fees

See http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Prospective-Students/financial.html

Contact Information

Email: ISG-Secretary@rhul.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1784 443093
Fax: +44 (0) 1784 430766

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