UnitLevel 5Postgraduate

FIT5163 Introduction to cryptography for cybersecurity

Faculty of Information Technology

FIT5163 Introduction to cryptography for cybersecurity is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Information Technology, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Suzhou (SEU). It needs FIT9137; or (FIT9134 and FIT9135) and unlocks 3 units.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2026
Semester 1, Semester 2
Clayton, Suzhou (SEU)
Assessment
No exam
3 tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Enrolment rules

Prerequisite: For students enrolled in E3001, E3002, E3005, E3010, E3011, E3007 completing the Software Engineering specialisation: FIT4165 Introductory knowledge of computing at the undergraduate level is assumed.

Overview

The unit aims to provide you with in depth knowledge of techniques required to deal with security problems in information systems. The main areas of study include symmetric and asymmetric encryption techniques, cryptographic hash functions with related topics of message authentication codes and digital signatures. Study of techniques and algorithms for providing mutual trust include key management and distribution and user authentication to establish trust in the identity of communicating partner are also included. It looks at various management issues, including use and abuse of encryption, distributed systems authentication and integrity management. A range of security applications are used as examples. You will learn how to apply cryptographic techniques in practice.

Offerings in 2026

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterClaytonOn campus
First semesterSuzhou (SEU)On campus
Second semesterClaytonOn campus

Assessment

  • In-class test 1Quiz / Test
    30%
  • Assignment - groupWritten
    40%
  • In-class test 2Quiz / Test
    30%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Critically assess threats, vulnerabilities and risks to an organisation's information assets, and propose control technologies and techniques which can be applied to reduce the security risk;

  2. 2

    Apply a variety of cryptographic algorithms to develop methods to disguise information to ensure its integrity, confidentiality and authenticity;

  3. 3

    Apply a variety of methods for key management and distribution and analyse the risks associated with the various approaches;

  4. 4

    Implement user authentication and access control mechanisms to create a security architecture to protect the assets of the information system;

  5. 5

    Implement cryptographic techniques to preserve the security of information and evaluate its effectiveness;

  6. 6

    Apply a variety of security control technologies to IT systems in an organisation.

Workload and teaching

  • Applied sessions24 hours
  • Workshops24 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.

Learning resources

Recommended resources

  • Cryptography and Network Security: Principles and Practice. William Stallings, 6th Edition, 2014. Pearson Education Limited.
  • Computer Security: Principles and Practice William Stallings and Lawrie Brown, 3rd Edition, 2015, Pearson Education Limited.
  • Security Engineering: A guide to building dependable distributed systems. Ross J. Anderson, 2nd Edition, 2008, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Where it fits

FIT5163 is part of 2 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.

Contacts

Unit Coordinators
Professor Ron Steinfeld
Associate Professor Vincent Lee
Chief Examiners
Dr Shujie Cui

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for FIT5163?

You need FIT9137; or (FIT9134 and FIT9135) before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.

What can I take after FIT5163?

FIT5163 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 3 units, including FIT5037, FIT5124 and FIT5223.

When is FIT5163 offered?

In 2026, FIT5163 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton and Suzhou (SEU).

How much work is FIT5163?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does FIT5163 have an exam?

No. FIT5163 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.

Which majors and minors include FIT5163?

FIT5163 is part of Computational science and Software engineering.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
5
Study level
Postgraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Information Technology
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 2
Study abroad
Available