ENGR7782 Systems and Security in the Information Age

The world is becoming increasingly defined by networked, distributed systems whose functionality is defined in software rather than hardware and whose successful operation is data driven. Information has become a foundational precious resource and our economic health, societal well-being and national security is determined by our ability to successfully generate, manage and use information. This course will: describe a number of networked data-driven systems in a range of areas, for example - monitoring, surveillance, threat warning and access and control. The concept of data driven performance will be addressed such as critical data-to-decision timelines, data fitness for purpose and metadata. This will be supported by a number of real world examples. Concepts, methods and systems for successful exploitation of data will form part of the course and will address analyst workload, decision support tools, situational awareness and the emergence of cognitive systems. The course will also touch on cybersecurity measures that help to secure the availability, integrity and privacy of information.

On completion of this topic students will have a knowledge of:

• Distributed sensor network tasking, sharing and integration of information to achieve target detection and identification
• Distributed threat warning
• IoT including personal monitoring systems
• Building access and control systems
• Critical data-to-decision timelines in a range of applications
• Methods for reducing analysts workload, including the use of AI
• Information integration to achieve situational awareness
• Cyber vulnerabilities, threats and mitigation strategies
• The role and nature of future cyber/information security professionals

1. Understand the principles underpinning the technology of security systems in a variety of situations
2. Analyse and develop applications that can respond to vulnerabilities in systems
3. Work collaboratively with other professionals to assess threat information