FIT3173 Software security
Faculty of Information Technology
FIT3173 Software security is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Information Technology, offered in 2023 in Semester 1 and Summer B at Clayton. It needs FIT1045, FIT1048, FIT1051 or FIT1053.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2023
- Semester 1, Summer B
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 4 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2023 handbook entry. See the 2026 entry.
Reviews
No reviews yetNo reviews yet. Be the first to review FIT3173.
Requisites
Before FIT3173
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After FIT3173
No unit lists FIT3173 as a prerequisite in the 2023 handbook.
Overview
This unit aims to introduce secure software development issues from the design stage, through to implementation, testing and deployment. Topics studied include the secure software development life cycle, secure software design principles, threat evaluation models, secure coding and development practices, software security testing, deployment and maintenance. Students are provided with a range of practical exercises and tasks to reinforce their skills including: identification of security bugs in programs written in different programming languages, design, implementation, and testing of secure concurrent and networked applications and identification of vulnerabilities in networked and mobile/wireless applications.
Offerings in 2023
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
| Summer semester B | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Investigating Buffer overflow/memory exploitsAssignment25%
- Web Application VulnerabilitiesAssignment25%
- QuizOther20%
- Threat modeling and penetration testingOther30%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Understand the fundamentals of software security.
- 2
Model the possible software vulnerabilities and threats for a given application system
- 3
Apply a wide range of tools and technologies to evaluate software vulnerabilities.
- 4
Apply appropriate methods for the design and realisation of secure software for memory exploits and web applications security.
- 5
Analyse and evaluate security properties of concurrent and networked applications.
- 6
Discuss and evaluate the significance of various software security weaknesses.
- 7
Describe and select mitigation strategies for common vulnerabilities and attacks.
- 8
Investigate, implement and exploit security vulnerabilities in a lab environment.
Workload and teaching
- Laboratories24 hours
- Lectures24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled online and face to face learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated reading and preparation for scheduled teaching activities.
Where it fits
FIT3173 is part of 6 areas of study in the 2023 handbook.
- COMPSCI03Level 3 elective unitAdvanced computer scienceNo reviews yet
- COMNTSEC02Level 2 and 3 unitsComputer networks and securityNo reviews yet
- CYBERSEC01Additional cybersecurity unitCybersecurityNo reviews yet
- CYBERSEC02Additional unitsCybersecurityNo reviews yet
- SFTWRDEV04Level 3 elective unitsSoftware developmentNo reviews yet
- SFTWRENG01Software engineering technical electivesSoftware engineeringNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Mrs Fariha Jaigirdar
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Ron Steinfeld
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for FIT3173?
You need FIT1045, FIT1048, FIT1051 or FIT1053 before you enrol.
When is FIT3173 offered?
In 2023, FIT3173 runs in Semester 1 and Summer B at Clayton.
How much work is FIT3173?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does FIT3173 have an exam?
No. FIT3173 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include FIT3173?
FIT3173 is part of Advanced computer science; Computer networks and security; Cybersecurity; Software development; and Software engineering.