| Title: | Windows Security |
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| Long Title: | Windows Security |
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| Field of Study: |
Computer Science
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| Valid From: |
Semester 1 - 2019/20 ( September 2019 ) |
| Module Coordinator: |
Sean McSweeney |
| Module Author: |
VINCENT RYAN |
| Module Description: |
In this module students will learn about Operating System's and its registries in a Windows environment and its application in security in particular. In addition, the student will learn about typical filesystems such as NTFS and how artefacts can be found that might be useful in a forensics investigation. It will also consider how an enterprise wide system such as Active Directory (AD) works and how Group Policy Objects (GPO) can be used. Finally, it will look at authentication in an enterprise system such as Kerberos. |
| Learning Outcomes |
| On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to: |
| LO1 |
Apply powershell scripting to automate security and other related tasks. |
| LO2 |
Locate and evaluate forensic artefacts in a Windows operating system. |
| LO3 |
Illustrate how authentication works in an enterprise wide system such as Active Directory |
| LO4 |
Carry out tasks on individual and on groups of hosts in an enterprise wide system. |
| LO5 |
Appraise the main keys in a systems such as the Windows registry. |
| Pre-requisite learning |
Module Recommendations
This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is strongly recommended before enrolment in this module. You may enrol in this module if you have not acquired the recommended learning but you will have considerable difficulty in passing (i.e. achieving the learning outcomes of) the module. While the prior learning is expressed as named MTU module(s) it also allows for learning (in another module or modules) which is equivalent to the learning specified in the named module(s).
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Incompatible Modules
These are modules which have learning outcomes that are too similar to the learning outcomes of this module. You may not earn additional credit for the same learning and therefore you may not enrol in this module if you have successfully completed any modules in the incompatible list. |
| No incompatible modules listed |
Co-requisite Modules
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| No Co-requisite modules listed |
Requirements
This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is mandatory before enrolment in this module is allowed. You may not enrol on this module if you have not acquired the learning specified in this section.
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| No requirements listed |
Module Content & Assessment
| Indicative Content |
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PowerShell and WMIC
Scripting with PowerShell; Adding and removing roles; getting a remote inventory; dealing with service failure; setting password policies; getting an app inventory, Use of WMIC.
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FileSystem Study
How a filesystem such as FAT and/or NTFS works. Boot Sector, MBR, MFT, logfile, bitmap, boot, permissions, volume shadow copy.
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Forensics Introduction
Allocated and unallocated space, slack space, file carving, imaging a drive, artefact location, timestamps.
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Remote Administration
Performing tasks on individual and on groups of hosts in an enterprise wide system, including tasks which help secure users and computers/servers in a domain. Secure user authentication.
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Windows Internals
The Registry, local accounts, Security applications such as AppLocker, backup and restore, use of tools such as regshot and procmon. Keys and values.
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| Assessment Breakdown | % |
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| Course Work | 100.00% |
| Course Work |
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| Assessment Type |
Assessment Description |
Outcome addressed |
% of total |
Assessment Date |
| Short Answer Questions |
Examine the student's knowledge of some of the theoretical aspects of the module. |
1,3,4 |
25.0 |
Week 5 |
| Practical/Skills Evaluation |
Students will be assessed on a number of assigned tasks. This assessment may be focused on Powershell scripting tasks where they will be asked to perform various tasks on the system. |
1,4 |
20.0 |
Week 7 |
| Short Answer Questions |
Examine the student's knowledge of the main theoretical aspects of the module. |
2,3,5 |
30.0 |
Week 11 |
| Practical/Skills Evaluation |
Lab based examination where students will be assessed on a number of assigned tasks. This assessment will focus mainly on forensics and remote administration. |
2,4,5 |
25.0 |
Week 12 |
| No End of Module Formal Examination |
| Reassessment Requirement |
Coursework Only
This module is reassessed solely on the basis of re-submitted coursework. There is no repeat written examination.
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The institute reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment
Module Workload
| Workload: Full Time |
| Workload Type |
Workload Description |
Hours |
Frequency |
Average Weekly Learner Workload |
| Lecture |
Lecture delivering theory underpinning learning outcomes. |
2.0 |
Every Week |
2.00 |
| Lab |
Lab to support learning outcomes. |
2.0 |
Every Week |
2.00 |
| Directed Learning |
Directed learning. |
3.0 |
Every Week |
3.00 |
| Total Hours |
7.00 |
| Total Weekly Learner Workload |
7.00 |
| Total Weekly Contact Hours |
4.00 |
| Workload: Part Time |
| Workload Type |
Workload Description |
Hours |
Frequency |
Average Weekly Learner Workload |
| Directed Learning |
Directed Learning. |
3.0 |
Every Week |
3.00 |
| Lecture |
Lecture delivering theory underpinning learning outcomes. |
2.0 |
Every Week |
2.00 |
| Lab |
Lab to support learning outcomes. |
2.0 |
Every Week |
2.00 |
| Total Hours |
7.00 |
| Total Weekly Learner Workload |
7.00 |
| Total Weekly Contact Hours |
4.00 |
Module Resources
| Recommended Book Resources |
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- Pavel Yosifovich, Alex Ionescu, Mark E. Russinovich 2017, Windows Internals, Part 1: System architecture, processes, threads, memory management, and more, 7 Ed., Microsoft Press [ISBN: 9780735684188]
| | Supplementary Book Resources |
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- William Stanek 2015, Windows Group Policy: The Personal Trainer for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform [ISBN: 9781512391633]
- Philip Polstra 2016, Windows Forensics with Python Scripting, CreateSpace [ISBN: 9781535312431]
- Harlan Carvey 2016, Windows Registry Forensics: Advanced Digital Forensic Analysis of the Windows Registry, 2 Ed., Syngress [ISBN: 9780128032916]
- Ed Wilson 2015, Windows PowerShell Step by Step, Microsoft Press [ISBN: 9780735675117]
| | This module does not have any article/paper resources |
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| Other Resources |
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- website: Scripting Guy Blog
- website: Windows Powershell Blog
- website: SANS Digital Forensics and Incident
Response Blog
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Module Delivered in
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