Outline

Overview

This unit of study gives a broad view of the management aspects of information security. We emphasise corporate governance for information security, organisational structures within which information security is managed, risk assessment, and control structures. Planning for security, and regulatory issues, are also addressed.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Computer Science
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	OINF5301
Assumed knowledge ?	This unit of study assumes foundational knowledge of Information systems management. Two year IT industry exposure and a breadth of IT experience will be preferable
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Kanchana Thilakarathna, kanchana.thilakarathna@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 August 2026

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written exam	Final exam Supervised Final written exam	55%	Formal exam period	2 hours	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Assignment 1 Take-home assignment including short answer questions.	15%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2026 at 23:59	2 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Assignment 2.1 This is the first part of the Group Project. This part involves in-depth understanding of a case study and in-class presentation of the case study.	10%	Week 08 Due date: 23 Sep 2026 at 17:00	4 weeks	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Practical skill	Assignment 2.2 This is the second part of the Group project with group report and presentation. The project report contains individual contributions that will be counted to individual mark component of the group assignment.	20%	Week 12 Due date: 27 Oct 2026 at 23:59	-	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Assignment 1: This is an individual assignment that quizzes the knowledge of each student in the topics of weeks 1-5 with questions similar to those on the final exam.
Assingment 2.1 & 2.2: In this practical group assignment, students are asked to analyse a case-study, develop information security management solution. The assessment includes an in-class pitch, written report and a presentation at the tutorial. The project report contains individual contributions that will be counted to individual mark component of the group assignment.
Final exam: Written exam that covers all aspects of the course. Obtaining at least 40% of the available marks from the written exam is a requirement to pass INFO5301.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	It is a policy of the School of Computer Science that in order to pass this unit, a student must achieve at least 40% in the written examination. For subjects without a final exam, the 40% minimum requirement applies to the corresponding major assessment component specified by the lecturer. A student must also achieve an overall final mark of 50 or more. Any student not meeting these requirements may be given a maximum final mark of no more than 45 regardless of their average.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

For late submissions, a penalty of 5% of the maximum awardable marks will be taken per day (or part) late. If the assessment is submitted more than ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction, nature and scope of Information Systems Security	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 01	Information Security Risks and Challenges	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Basic Principles of Information Security Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Basics Principles in Practice	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	Planning and designing for Information Security Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Case Studies: Cybersecurity Frameworks	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Technical Aspects of Information Security Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Access Control Policies	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Formal Aspects of Information Security Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Understanding Cybersecurity Best Practices Guidelines	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Informal Aspects of Information Security Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Impact of Human Aspects	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Information Security Standards and Regulations	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Understanding Regulations and Standards	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Case studies: In class pitches from students	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Policy and regulation compliance	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Information Security in Practice: Industry Guest	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Revision and assessment feedback	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Risk Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Revision with questions	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Impact of AI in Information Security Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	AI assisted Information Security Management	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Emerging Trends in Information Security Management	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Assignment 2 Group Presentations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	Unit review	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Exam preperation	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

- Tutorials complement the lectures by enabling students to apply and practice key concepts in the same week they are introduced.

- In-person attendance at both lectures and tutorials is highly encouraged.

- Attendance at tutorials will be recorded to monitor student engagement and most lectures starts with 0%-weighted Quiz to self-assess the understanding of the previous week.

- Week 3 and 9 tutorials include 0%-weighted submission to provide students with early feedback.

- Week 8 lecture includes in-class presentations.

- Week 9 tutorial includes in-person feedback on Assignment 1.

- Week 10 tutorial covers early revision with exam preparation support.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

References are provided for guidance purposes only. Students are advised to consult these books in the university library. Purchase is not required.

- Information Security: Principles and Practices by Mark Merkow and James Breithaupt

- Computer Security: Art and Science by Bishop, Matt (Matthew A.); Sullivan, Elisabeth: Ruppel, Michelle 2019

- Principles of information systems security : text and cases by Gurpreet Dhillon

- Security in Computing by Charles Pfleeger and Shari Pfleeger

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Communicate on information security issues to both managers and technical staff
LO2. List and outline major concerns and issues of managing information security
LO3. Define, describe and discuss management and governance aspects of information security
LO4. Describe risk management methodology and control structures as applied to the management of information security
LO5. Describe and characterise the attributes of information security management practices.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The unit content has been refreshed to reflect current trends and industry best practices in information security management. Assessment structure and weighting have been revised to increase class engagement and understanding of real-world case-studies.

Disclaimer

Important: the University of Sydney regularly reviews units of study and reserves the right to change the units of study available annually. To stay up to date on available study options, including unit of study details and availability, refer to the relevant handbook.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

INFO5301: Information Security Management

Semester 2, 2026 [Normal evening] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links