CSSE 343 - Cybercrime and Digital Forensics
Winter Quarter 2023-2024
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

    Instructor: Brian Toevs
        E-mail: toevs@rose-hulman.edu

      Web Site: https://www.rose-hulman.edu/class/csse/csse343

     Textbooks:
           "Computer Forensics: Cybercriminals, Laws, and Evidence (2nd ed.)".
             Marie-Helen Maras. 2014. Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.,
             ISBN: 9781449692223
           "Digital Forensics Workbook". Michael K. Robinson. 2015.
             CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, USA.
             ISBN: 9781517713607


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Course Description:

  This course introduces students to “cybercrime,” how police investigate these
crimes, and what forensics techs use to uncover digital evidence.  Students
will examine the laws, technologies, tools, and procedures used in the
investigation and prosecution of computer crimes through case studies,
discussions, ethical debates, and hands-on laboratory exercises that uncover
and analyze digital evidence.  This class covers topics including: basics of
criminal law, collection and chain of evidence, search & seizure procedures,
digital trail discovery, data recovery, and smartphone investigation.


Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

1. Explain the procedure for and importance of chain-of-evidence in a criminal
    investigation to act as a helpful aide to law enforcement during a
    computer-related investigation

2. Relate the fundamentals of current US Federal Laws on cybercrime to various
    investigative case studies

3. Discuss the ethics of using computer technology for perpetration or
    investigation of a crime

4. Discuss how laws and computer systems interact and affect each other

5. Comment on factual accuracy of stories, movies, TV shows, or other fictional
    portrayals of cybercrime investigations.

6. Examine and analyze digital evidence using a variety of tools to recreate a
    narrative of an event


Course Requirements:
To earn a passing grade, you must complete written assignments, in-class
quizzes, in-class labs, participate in class activities, and
complete a small-group final project including presentation.


Grading:
In estimating your grade, weight the work as follows:
   35% Written Assignments
   30% Group Project
   20% Labs
   15% In-class Discussion
In general, 90-100% is an A, 80-89% is a B, 70-79% is a C, 60-69% is a D.
The above weights and percentages are a guideline that we typically follow.
Please understand that it is not a promise. We will do our best to conform to
the institute-wide grading policy described in the Grade Descriptions section
of the registrar's web page.
https://www.rose-hulman.edu/campus-life/student-services/registrar/rules-and-procedures/grades.html


Written Assignments:
Students will submit weekly written assignments.  Proofread your work before
you turn it in!  Assignments with structural or grammatical errors may be
returned without a grade.  These ungraded assignments may be re-submitted at
the next class meeting (with 10% penalty) once they have been proofread.

The Learning Center provides proofreading services.  While they will not verify
if the content of your document is correct, they will check your grammar,
spelling, etc.  It is your responsibility to plan ahead when seeking
proofreading services since they may not be available every day.


Labs:
Labs are in-class hands-on activities intended to get students familiar with
tools and processes of digital evidence discovery and analysis.  These
exercises will be done in pairs.  After the exercises, both students are
expected to understand the material and be able to discuss their results
individually.


Group Project:
The course features a final project that will be completed in small groups.
Groups are encouraged to split up work among members to make efficient use of
time, but all participants are accountable for understanding the outcomes and
artifacts of the project to satisfy the learning outcomes above.


Attendance Policy
Regular attendance is expected.


Good Citizenship
In this class you may learn things to protect but also to exploit flaws systems
for educational purposes.  You are expected to act ethically and only use these
skills on systems when authorized by the owners of those systems. This
course in no way protects or exempts you from following policies and laws.
Don't be a jerk or a criminal.

If at any time you are uncertain if something is allowed: stop, think, and ask.


Academic Integrity
Collaboration is required on certain graded work items (team presentations),
prohibited on others (individual quizzes & papers), and encouraged
on the remainder. Copying is not collaboration. Discussing positions or working
out a solution as a group is acceptable collaboration. Each individual is
responsible for understanding the entire solution and explaining their point of
view. You must properly credit your collaborators and clearly indicate the
extent of the collaboration, except where it is obvious.  Your instructor may
use a plaigarism detection tool to identify copying or verify that you properly
credit collaborators.  Failure to acknowledge collaboration can be considered
cheating and will result in a penalty grade of F in the course.  You are
encouraged to talk to your instructor if you have any questions regarding these
expectations.


Late Assignments
Homework and quizzes must be submitted on time to receive credit for them.

Concerns about anything?  Got a problem and can't get your assigments done on
time?  Come talk to me and we'll work something out!