The group has been in operation since 2001 and is now one of the leading digital security and forensics groups in the world. The group has signifcant expertise in computer and digital forensics, network and wireless security as well as information warfare.
The Edith Cowan University (ECU), School of Computer and Information Science (SCIS)
has the most extensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, majors and
units in Australia and arguably the world focusing on computer, information and
network security as well as digital forensics. These targetted niche programs are
run by the SEC.AU Group at Edith Cowan University (ECU) which has considerable
expertise in research and teaching in the area of computer and network security,
information security, information warfare and digital forensics.
As indicators of the groups standing, SCIS this year is offering for the first time
this year an undergraduate degree titled
Bachelor of Computer and Network Security. This is building on the success
of the current 8 unit Computer Security Major within the existing bachelor programmes
where over 35% of all second and third-year students are currently undertaking
this as a major. This is now the most popular major within the school. In
addition to this burgeoning undergraduate program ECU now offers a full range of
postgraduate coursework masters degrees these are;
Master in Computer Security (Since 2002)
Master in Computer and Network security (Since 2006)
Master in Information Security and Intelligence (Since 2002)
Master in Digital Forensics (Since Mid-Year 2006)
In addition to coursework masters and undergradute programs SCIS has a very active program in digital security based research with a Master of Science (Computer Security) and Doctoral programs also being run. All courses have accreditation with the Australian Computer Society.
The group has a world-class profile in network honeypots, digital forensics and information warfare. The group has initiated and runs three major Australian security conferences these are the Australian Information Warfare and Security conference now in its 8th year, Australian Information security management conference and the Australian digital forensics conference both in their 5th year. The group also runs and edits the internationally recognised Journal of Information Warfare and building on this success is starting the Journal of Network Forensics in the second half of 2007.
In addition to digital forensics the SEC.AU team also has considerable expertise and research in network (Internet) and wireless security. These areas are of increasing concern for law enforcement, banking, finance, corportaions and national security as criminals, criminal gangs and terrorists are increasingly using these mediums as a means of communication and organisation. The ability to monitor, intercept and intercede in these networks will be an ability that modern law enforcement and corporate organisations will increasingly need to develop and maintain.
In addition to this SEC.AU is conducting collaborative research projects with the Western Australian Police Computer Crime (WAPS-CC), the Australian Federal Police and British Telecom. These projects are collaboratively based and are used to increasing capability for law enforcement or security organisations. The projects are aimed to enhance the ability of law enforcement/organisations to provide more effective on site or in-situ triage when processing a crime scence or conducting preliminary investigation of a crime or suspected crime.
Furthermore, SEC.AU has numerous student based research projects being undertaken. These include projects into new areas of digital forensics and electronic evidence mobile phone acquisition, personal digital assitant (ipaq, PDA, Palm) acquisition, IPOD/MP3 player forensics. As well as the more traditional areas of computer forensics based around the processing of evidence acquired from computer hard disk storage and other storage media such as CDs, USB memory sticks etc.
The group also has a well established dedicated laboratory for digital security rsearch, these are in addition to the excellent teaching laboratory facilities that SCIS operates. The SEC.AU and has a wide range of test hardware and software for aiding in the analysis of digital evidence and conducting digital security experiements.
The test and analysis equipment includes state of the art technology such as Solo III hardware forensics acquisition appliances, various computer forensic bridges and a fully equipped isolted network test environment. The lab also operates external ADSL links to conduct ground breaking research into honeypots and network borne malware.
There is also a range computer and digital appliances ranging from Palm OS devices, IPAQs, Linux embedded wireless routers, Sun Sparc, IBM Power Series and modern Intel machines through to a 100 CPU cluster environment for our researchers and students to use.
