CMPT421N - Computer Forensics

4 Credit(s)

Non Liberal Arts
This course deals with computer forensics, the science of identifying and analyzing digital evidence in cybercrimes. This is a comprehensive computer architecture course with an emphasis on cybercrime investigation. Students will study the hardware and software architecture of computer systems, including devices used on the Internet of Things, and learn how to use forensics for cybercrimes that affect individual and corporate privacy. Topics covered include: risks, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures; illegal activities based on traces left on computer hardware and peripherals; uncovering attacks using standard operating system tools. Ethical concerns related to cybersecurity will be addressed. Students will also learn to tackle different forensics situations using digital evidence, and learn how to collect evidence that have legal value, using frameworks such as the open source Linux Caine distro. We will examine the fundamentals of system forensics, including the roles and responsibilities of computer forensics specialists, dealing with computer forensic evidence, and application of forensic analysis skills. Real world examples will be provided to support the course material.

Prerequisite(s): CMPT 307N