THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Law : Law

Postgraduate Course: Forensic Computing and Electronic Evidence (LAWS11174)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Law CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)
Course typeOnline Distance Learning AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThe purpose of the "Forensic Computing and Electronic Evidence" course is to provide an introduction to the practical aspects of forensic computing investigations, and to offer a legal overview of legislation and the main legal issues related to cyber-crime and computer forensics.

Course description 1: Cyber-crimes
2: Computer vulnerabilities
3: 'Deleted' data & evidence recovery
4: Cyber-crime: the legal view
5: Investigative process
6: Beyond the PC: evidence recovery from networks & the internet
7: Beyond keywords: finding & analyzing electronic evidence
8: Beyond cyber-crime legislation: legal issues in electronic evidence
9: Before & after an investigation: forensic readiness, experts in the courtroom
10: Future challenges
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Please contact the online learning team at law.online@ed.ac.uk
Additional Costs Students should have regular and reliable access to the Internet.



Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 40, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 156 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) One essay of up to 4,000 words (60%); one piece of assessed work (20%); a portfolio of contributions made to weekly online discussions throughout the semester (20%).

Requirements for all course assessments will be outlined to students within the individual courses at the start of each semester.
Feedback Students will have the opportunity to obtain formative feedback over the course of the semester. The feedback provided will assist students in their preparation for the summative assessment.

Details of the School's feedback policy will be available at the start of the course.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. critically discuss the main kinds of cyber-crimes, and commonly exploited computer vulnerabilities
  2. relate the importance of electronic evidence and assess the level of access required to obtain certain electronic information
  3. outline the main European, US and UK legislation relating to cyber-crime and to electronic evidence, and of some strengths, weaknesses and controversial issues
  4. understand the practical problems of discovering electronic evidence and gain some basic experience in electronic evidence acquisition
  5. apply some best practices in preparing for incidents of computer mis-use, responding to incidents, and presenting electronic evidence in the courtroom;
Reading List
The set book for this course is: Casey E., Digital Evidence and Computer Crime, Forensic Science, Computers and the Internet, Third Edition, Elsevier Academic Press, 2011.

A detailed list of key resources will be available at the start of the course.
Additional Information
Course URL https://edin.ac/3dHlkVc
Graduate Attributes and Skills Students will develop their skills and abilities in:

1. Research and enquiry, through e.g. selecting and deploying appropriate research techniques;
2. Personal and intellectual autonomy, e.g. developing the ability to independently assess the relevance and importance of primary and secondary sources;
3. Communication, e.g. skills in summarising and communicating information and ideas effectively in written form;
4. Personal effectiveness, e.g. working constructively as a member of an online community;
5. Students will also develop their technical/practical skills, throughout the course, e.g. in articulating, evidencing and sustaining a line of argument, and engaging in a convincing critique of another's arguments.
Special Arrangements This course is taught by online learning.
Additional Class Delivery Information This course is taught by online learning.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserProf Burkhard Schafer
Tel: (0131 6)50 2035
Email: B.Schafer@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Clare Polson
Tel: (0131 6)51 9704
Email: Clare.Polson@ed.ac.uk
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