Posted: September 1st, 2023

MN502 Overview of Network Security Assessment

Assessment Details and Submission Guidelines
Trimester T2, 2019
Unit Code MN502
Unit Title Overview of Network Security
Assessment
Type
Group Assignment (Maximum 3 Students in a group)
Assessment
Title
Security in Networked Systems (Assignment 2)
Purpose of the
assessment
(with ULO
Mapping)
The purpose of this assignment is to develop skills to independently think of
innovation. Students will be able to complete the following ULOs:
c. Explain the major methodologies for secure networks and what threats
they address;
d. Identify and report network threats, select and implement appropriate
countermeasures for network security.
Weight 20%
Total Marks 65
Word limit 2200 – 2500
Due Date Thursday 26/09/2019
Submission
Guidelines
 All work must be submitted on Moodle by the due date along with a title
Page.
 The assignment must be in MS Word format, 1.5 spacing, 11-pt Calibri (Body)
font and 2.54 cm margins on all four sides of your page with appropriate
section headings.
 Reference sources must be cited in the text of the report, and listed
appropriately at the end in a reference list using IEEE referencing style.
Extension  If an extension of time to submit work is required, a Special Consideration
Application must be submitted directly to the School’s Administration Officer,
in Melbourne on Level 6 or in Sydney on Level 7. You must submit this
application three working days prior to the due date of the assignment.
Further information is available at:
https://monkessays.com/write-my-essay/mit.edu.au/about-mit/institute-publications/policiesprocedures-and-guidelines/specialconsiderationdeferment
Academic
Misconduct
 Academic Misconduct is a serious offence. Depending on the seriousness of
the case, penalties can vary from a written warning or zero marks to exclusion
from the course or rescinding the degree. Students should make themselves
familiar with the full policy and procedure available at:
https://monkessays.com/write-my-essay/mit.edu.au/about-mit/institute-publications/policiesprocedures-and-guidelines/Plagiarism-Academic-Misconduct-PolicyProcedure. For further information, please refer to the Academic Integrity
Section in your Unit Description.
Unit Code: MN502 Unit Name: Overview of Network Security Page#2 of 4
Prepared by: Dr Wanod Kumar Moderated by: Dr SM Farhad July, 2019
Assignment Description
Blue Ridge Consulting Services (BRCS) provides security consulting and services to over 1000 clients
across a wide range of enterprises in Australia. A new initiative at BRCS is for its two offices in Sydney
and Melbourne to provide internships to students who are pursuing their postgraduate studies in
reputed institutes in Sydney and Melbourne in the Networking and Cyber Security domains.
Students are required to demonstrate their theoretical as well as practical knowledge related to
information security. To evaluate suitable candidates for this prestigious internship program, BRCS
has asked applicants to prepare a detailed report and a presentation addressing the following
sections:
A. Crypto-malware Attacks (maximum 600 Words)
Most recently, threat actors have started using Crypto-malware to attack victims’ devices and
networks. This malware encrypts all files on a victim’s device and demands ransom for a key
(to be delivered to victim) to unlock these files. Use Library/Internet resources to research
about Crypto-malware Attacks. Based on your research address following:
1. What do these attacks do? How these attacks are different from other malware attacks?
Why are they so successful? In what ways ransom is paid?
2. Explain in detail the spreading mechanism(s) of crypto-malware.
3. Discuss any two crypto malware variants developed during 2018-2019. Critically analyse
their working mechanism.
4. Recommend any two security tools/techniques to withstand with these attacks.
B. Load Balancing Algorithms (maximum 600 Words)
Load balancing is a technology that can help to distribute work across a network. Different
algorithms are used to make decision on the load balancing. These include random allocation,
round-robin, weighted round-robin, round-robin DNS load balancing, and others.
1. Explain the need of load balancing in today’s networks. What benefits are achieved with
load balancing from information security perspective.
2. From current literature survey, research about these above mentioned load balancing
algorithms and discuss their working mechanism with advantages and disadvantages.
3. Do these algorithms compromise security? Provide proper justification regarding your
recommendation.
4. Explain a recent case study where load balancing helped to prevent a total network
collapse.
C. Blockchain for the Internet of Things (IoT) (maximum 600 Words)
With recent developments, it is a predicted that there will be 18 billion internet of things (IoT)
enabled devices by 2022 having a large influence across many vertical markets. Blockchain
technologies have potential to track, coordinate, carry out transactions and store information
Unit Code: MN502 Unit Name: Overview of Network Security Page#3 of 4
Prepared by: Dr Wanod Kumar Moderated by: Dr SM Farhad July, 2019
from these large number of devices, enabling the creation of applications that require no
centralized cloud. Based on your research and analysis
1. Discuss IoT and their Characteristics. Also, highlight the application areas of IoT.
2. Explain the working mechanism of Blockchain and Its advantages in comparison to
centralised coordination.
3. Critically analyse, the advantages of using Blockchain for access control in IoT.
4. Evaluate how Blockchain can ensure security in IoT.
D. Penetration testing Tools (maximum 600 Words)
A Penetration testing, also called pen testing or ethical hacking, is a mechanism of testing a
computer system, network or web application to determine security vulnerabilities that an
attacker could exploit. Burp Suite and OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) are two penetration
testing tools for web applications having similar features.
1. Analyse and compare features of these tools.
2. Download and install each selected tool on your personal /lab computer using Virtual
machine (Kali Linux /Windows 8.1 Professional) in Virtual Box. Perform penetration
testing against two vulnerable web applications (Include snapshots).
3. Which tool among these two would you recommend? Justify your recommendation.
E. References
Must consider at least five current references from journal/conference papers and books.
Must follow IEEE Transactions on Networking style.
Note: Every group will create a 7-10 minutes presentation and present their work front of your
class fellows and tutor during the Lab in Week 11.
Submission Guidelines
 The assignment should be submitted on the Moodle in two separate files:
o The report should be submitted as a Word file
o The presentation should be submitted as a PPT file
 Do not use Wikipedia as a source or a reference.
 Make sure you properly reference any diagram/graphics used in the assignment.
Unit Code: MN502 Unit Name: Overview of Network Security Page#4 of 4
Prepared by: Dr Wanod Kumar Moderated by: Dr SM Farhad July, 2019
Marking criteria for Assignment #2
Report Sections Description of the section Marks
A. Crypto-malware
Attacks
Based on your research address following:
1. What do these attacks do? How these attacks
are different from other malware attacks?
Why are they so successful? In what ways
ransom is paid?
2. Explain in detail the spreading mechanism(s)
of crypto-malware.
3. Discuss any two crypto malware variants
developed during 2018-2019. Critically
analyse their working mechanism.
4. Recommend any two security
tools/techniques to withstand with these
attacks.
12
B. Load Balancing
Algorithms
1. Explain the need of load balancing in today’s
networks. What benefits are achieved with
load balancing from information security
perspective.
2. From current literature survey, research
about these above mentioned load balancing
algorithms and discuss their working
mechanism with advantages and
disadvantages.
3. Do these algorithms compromise security?
Provide proper justification regarding your
recommendation.
4. Explain a recent case study where load
balancing helped to prevent a total network
collapse.
12
C. Blockchain for
the Internet of
Things (IoT)
1. Discuss IoT and their Characteristics. Also,
highlight the application areas of IoT.
2. Explain the working mechanism of Blockchain
and Its advantages in comparison to
centralised coordination.
3. Critically analyse, the advantages of using
Blockchain for access control in IoT.
4. Evaluate how Blockchain can ensure security
in IoT.
12
D. Penetration
testing Tools
Burp Suite and OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) are
two penetration testing tools for web applications
having similar features.
1. Analyse and compare features of these tools.
2. Download and install each selected tool on
your personal /lab computer using Virtual
machine (Kali Linux /Windows 8.1
12
Unit Code: MN502 Unit Name: Overview of Network Security Page#5 of 4
Prepared by: Dr Wanod Kumar Moderated by: Dr SM Farhad July, 2019
Professional) in Virtual Box. Perform
penetration testing against two vulnerable
web applications (Include snapshots).
3. Which tool among these two would you
recommend? Justify your recommendation.
E. References Must consider at least five current references from
journal/conference papers and books. Must follow
IEEE Transactions on Networking style.
5
Oral Presentation Delivery of the presentation (quality of the
presentation, depth of knowledge on the material
presented and ability to answer questions asked by
the audience)
12
Total Marks 65
Marking Rubric for Assignment #2
Grade
Mark
HD
80% +
D
70%-79%
CR
60%-69%
P
50%-59%
Fail
<50%
Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Cryptomalware