695.644.8VL - Computer Forensics

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the course menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Most modules run for a period of seven (7) days, exceptions are noted in the Course Outline. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates.

Course Topics

• Foundations of Digital Forensics

• Language of Computer Crime Investigation

• Digital Evidence in the Courtroom

• Cybercrime Law - A U.S. Perspective

• Applying Forensic Science to Computers

• Conducting Digital Investigations

• Handling a Digital Crime Scene

• Investigative Reconstruction with Digital Evidence

• Modus Operandi, Motive, and Technology

• Violent Crime and Digital Evidence

• Digital Evidence as Alibi

• Sex Offenders on the Internet

Course Goals

• To understand theory and best practices regarding the application of computer forensics to support corporate security or law enforcement.
  

• To use open-source tools to apply forensic imaging, data recovery, Windows Registry analysis, operating system analysis, memory forensics, application forensics, cell phone forensics, and an end-to-end computer forensic examination.

Textbooks

Title:  Digital Evidence and Computer Crime: Forensic Science,

Computers, and the Internet. 3rd edition

                                    Author:  Eoghan Casey

                                    Publisher:  Academic Press

                                    ISBN: 9780123742681

                                    Pages:  807

Student Coursework Requirements

• Students are required to attend lectures; read and view all supporting materials; complete all the assigned homework; complete the exam(s); and actively participate in lectures, discussions, and exercises. Attendance is required for each class.
  

• Assignments are to be submitted electronically before the start of class on the assignment’s due date, unless otherwise specified. Late homework will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor, with a possible reduction of score.

• Homework answer submissions are required to be typed and properly formatted.

• Unless otherwise specified, all assignments and homework must be completed individually. In instances when collaboration has been approved, the collaboration must be clearly stated in the student’s submission.

• Students are required to be present and participate in every examination unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. A missed examination may result in a score of zero (0) for that examination.

• Students are required to understand, accept, and comply with the university’s standards of academic conduct, as well as policies established by the school. To be clear, getting help from fellow students, or helping others on the exams, is a violation. Furthermore, copying the work of another student, or another source of information, without properly noting the source, is considered plagiarism and may result in a lower grade and/or failing the course. See:  https://www.cs.jhu.edu/academic-integrity-code/.  To be clear, if one or more homework or exam submissions are found to be plagiarized or substantially similar to the work of another source or student, all students involved in the academic misconduct will receive a grade of ‘fail’ (“F”) for the course.
  

Grading Policy

A minimum letter grade will be assigned according to this formula*:

A+ ≥ 97%

A   ≥ 93%

A-  ≥ 90%

B+ ≥ 87%

B   ≥ 83%

B-  ≥ 80%

C+ ≥ 77%

C   ≥ 73%

C-  ≥ 70%

D+ ≥ 67%

D   ≥ 63%

D-  ≥ 60%

F    ≥ 0%

*NOTE:  Curved grading will be used to reflect the natural distribution of the grade scores.  Curving of grades might improve a student’s grade, but it will not reduce the grade that is defined by the minimum letter grade defined above.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students. This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University is committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. If disability accommodations are needed for this course, students should request accommodations through Student Disability Services (SDS) as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.  For further information about this process, please refer to the SDS Website.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically.  For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity.    If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.