Offensive Security Engineering
Overview
This unit provides an intensive introduction to ethical hacking and professional penetration testing, focusing on real-world adversarial techniques and red-team methodologies. Students will perform controlled cyberattacks on vulnerable systems and applications, applying reconnaissance, exploitation, privilege escalation, and post-exploitation strategies used in industry engagements. Emphasis is placed on technical proficiency, structured problem-solving, and professional reporting within collaborative team environments, while reinforcing awareness of ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements. The unit offers opportunities to participate in national and international cybersecurity competitions, enabling students to gain hands-on experience in threat emulation and security assessment under realistic conditions.
Requisites
ICT60001 Cyber Security Fundamentals and Practices
OR
COS60004 Creating Web Applications
OR
COS60018 Programming Principles and Practices
31-May-2026
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Apply advanced ethical hacking methodologies to identify and exploit security vulnerabilities across systems, applications, and networked services
- Engage in precise and professional communication with peers to articulate methodologies, findings, and ethical considerations in penetration testing and security assessment practices
- Synthesize and apply advanced security knowledge to design and deploy effective, resource-efficient defense strategies against real-world attack vectors orchestrated by malicious adversaries
- Collaborate within red and blue team operations to coordinate, execute, and document penetration testing tasks, ensuring realistic threat emulation and actionable security insights
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| On-campus Class |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
8.50 | 12 weeks | 102 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation and Report | Individual /Group | 40 - 50% | 1,2,4 |
| Presentation and Report | Individual /Group | 40 - 50% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Online Quizzes | Individual | 10 - 30% | 1,2,3,4 |
Content
Ethical hacking and penetration testing basics
Planning and scoping assessments
Information gathering and scanning
Social engineering attacks
Network exploitation (wired & wireless)
Application vulnerability exploitation
Cloud, mobile, and IoT security
Post-exploitation techniques
Reporting and communication
Hacking tools and code analysis
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.