GET1004 / GEK1531 Cyber Security

Module: GET1004 / GEK1531 Cyber Security

Semester taken: AY 2018/19 Semester 2

Lecturer: Dr Leung Ka Hin, Assoc Prof Yu Chien Siang

Tutor: None

Textbook: None

What it is about

This module is a very high level introduction to the world of cyber security and is taught by a part-time professor, Assoc Prof Yu Chien Siang, that works mainly in the cyber security agencies in the Government. It touches lightly about the different aspects of cyber security and the lectures are mostly story-telling. There are also some mathematics components, mainly on number theory and cryptography, which is taught by Dr Leung Ka Hin.

Assessment components

• Homework - 5%

• Test 1 - 35%

• Test 2 - 35%

• Project (Individual PowerPoint) - 10%

• Project (Report) - 15%

Comments

I originally thought this module will teach us with some hands-on experience on breaching systems and doing the real action stuff, but I was wrong. Every Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm was a torture for me to be in, because it is late at night and being seated on the uncomfortable seats of LT26 listening to some boring stories really killed my interest for this module.

There is also the mathematics portion which is taught by Dr Leung Ka Hin. He is really just a bad lecturer, tries to explain concepts but not clearly at all. I was lucky that I was taking CS1231 in the same semester, which has the exact same topic, and I just used the notes from CS1231 to revise for the mathematics portion of this module.

There are also some homework to be completed and submitted. The questions are rather easy and do compare your answers with your friends first before submitting.

Project

We were required to research on a topic related to cyber-security and submit a 20-page report on it. There were no structure given and we are free to decide how much breadth and depth that you want the report to be. We were also required to submit an individual powerpoint presentation on your interpretation of your group’s report. You are not required to actually do the presentation.

I was rather annoyed by my group mates as they tend to be very last minute people and I am not. In the end, we only started working on the report about 3-4 weeks before the submission deadline. Nonetheless, we managed to do what I would say is a rather good report towards the end.

Tests

The two tests were on both the cyber security and mathematics components. The first part of the test is MCQs and the answers are usually quite obvious provided you listened to the lectures. The second part of the test is on the mathematics component. There are no past year papers provided, so do find some practices to do from other modules (like CS1231). Also, remember the names of the ciphers and do not confuse one for the other, which was what I did!

I personally did not do very well for the mathematics component of the first test, which forced me to study extremely hard for the second test which I did manage to do well in.

Other information

Assignment workload: There were no assignments.

Project workload: One group project with a team of 5 members each with the submission in Week 12.

Readings: None

Recommended if: You want a chill module to take, and sufficiently confident with your number theory, because the bell curve can be rather steep in this module.

Rating: 1.0/5. Hated this module to the core. You do not learn anything useful and the way the module is organised is extremely messy. What a waste of my tuition fees.

Expected grade: B (because of test 1 and I was not too optimistic about the project)

Actual grade: S (Actual: B+)