FIT5037 Network Security
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · S2 2026FIT5037 Overview
- Monash Faculty of Information Technology
- Semester 2, 2026
- a postgraduate Level 5 unit
- 6 credit points
FIT5037 covers PKI, transport attacks and security, DNS, email, DoS, wireless security, IPSec, VPNs, intrusion detection, firewalls, BGP and penetration testing. It is taught within Monash Faculty of Information Technology. It is a postgraduate Level 5 unit. It carries 6 credit points.
- Threat model first A control is meaningful only against a named asset, attacker position and capability.
- Crypto is deployed, not invoked Certificates, keys, validation and revocation determine whether a cryptographic promise survives implementation.
- Detection needs evidence An IDS rule without a response path and false-positive model is only an alert generator.
- No final exam The current S2 structure ends with a practical-and-report assignment rather than an examination.
How FIT5037 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Class tests | 30% | The unit-information deck places the in-class test in Week 6 |
| Assignment 1 demonstration | 30% | Hands-on network-security assignment |
| Final assignment | 40% | Practical and report; live Moodle controls dates and operation |
S2 assessment consists of class tests worth 30%, a hands-on Assignment 1 demonstration worth 30%, and a final practical-and-report assignment worth 40%. The current unit-information deck says the marks must average at least 50 and publishes no separate component hurdle.
Current FIT5037 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Week 6 | Class test and Assignment 1 release | The class-test stream and hands-on assignment are each worth 30%. |
| Week 10 | Final assignment release | 40% practical and report. |
Dates are as published in the current course materials. Confirm exact deadlines and submission settings in the live LMS.
What FIT5037 covers
Start with Network-Security Foundations and Threat Models; use Denial of Service and Wireless Security as the turning point; finish by bringing the course together in Penetration Testing and Authorised Validation.
Network-Security Foundations and Threat Models
security property · threat model · attack surface · connect network architecture and attacker position to specific security propertiesDefine security property
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 1 introduces network-security services, attacks and defence reasoning.
- security property
- threat model
- attack surface
- Applying security property
- Limits of threat model and attack surface
Public-Key Infrastructure and Certificate Validation
public-key infrastructure · certificate chain · revocation · verify identity binding, chain, name, time and revocation rather than accepting encryption aloneDefine public-key infrastructure
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 2 is dedicated to PKI and certificate trust.
- public-key infrastructure
- certificate chain
- revocation
- Applying public-key infrastructure
- Limits of certificate chain and revocation
Transport-Layer Attacks and Secure Sessions
transport security · downgrade attack · session hijacking · trace handshake, negotiation and session state through attack and controlDefine transport security
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 3 connects transport-layer attacks with secure transport design.
- transport security
- downgrade attack
- session hijacking
- Applying transport security
- Limits of downgrade attack and session hijacking
DNS Security and Name Resolution
domain name system · cache poisoning · DNSSEC · trace a query through stub, recursive and authoritative roles and test spoofing controlsDefine domain name system
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 4 focuses on DNS operation, attacks and security.
- domain name system
- cache poisoning
- DNSSEC
- Applying domain name system
- Limits of cache poisoning and DNSSEC
Email Security and Message Authentication
email spoofing · SPF/DKIM/DMARC · phishing · connect message path, domain alignment and user action to spoofing resistanceDefine email spoofing
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 5 covers email architecture and security controls.
- email spoofing
- SPF/DKIM/DMARC
- phishing
- Applying email spoofing
- Limits of SPF/DKIM/DMARC and phishing
Denial of Service and Wireless Security
denial of service · amplification · wireless trust boundary · distinguish volumetric, protocol, application and wireless attack mechanismsDefine denial of service
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 6 joins DoS mechanisms with wireless-security risks.
- denial of service
- amplification
- wireless trust boundary
- Applying denial of service
- Limits of amplification and wireless trust boundary
IPSec and Virtual Private Networks
IPSec · security association · VPN trust model · choose tunnel endpoints and policy that match the traffic and trust boundaryDefine IPSec
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 7 covers IPSec and VPN construction.
- IPSec
- security association
- VPN trust model
- Applying IPSec
- Limits of security association and VPN trust model
Intrusion Detection and Security Telemetry
intrusion detection system · signature detection · anomaly detection · design detection with data source, threshold, false-positive cost and responseDefine intrusion detection system
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 8 develops intrusion-detection approaches and trade-offs.
- intrusion detection system
- signature detection
- anomaly detection
- Applying intrusion detection system
- Limits of signature detection and anomaly detection
Firewalls, NAC, Proxies and Caching
firewall policy · network access control · application proxy · combine segmentation, access admission and application mediationDefine firewall policy
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 9 covers several boundary and mediation controls together with bypass practice.
- firewall policy
- network access control
- application proxy
- Applying firewall policy
- Limits of network access control and application proxy
BGP Security and Interdomain Routing
border gateway protocol · route hijack · route-origin validation · trace how an announcement changes path selection and apply origin and operational controlsDefine border gateway protocol
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 10 focuses on BGP security and interdomain trust.
- border gateway protocol
- route hijack
- route-origin validation
- Applying border gateway protocol
- Limits of route hijack and route-origin validation
Penetration Testing and Authorised Validation
penetration test · rules of engagement · finding validation · plan and report penetration testing without crossing scope or overstating impactDefine penetration test
The course material gives this chapter a concrete anchor: Week 11 applies the unit's attacks and controls through network-system penetration testing.
- penetration test
- rules of engagement
- finding validation
- Applying penetration test
- Limits of rules of engagement and finding validation
It is positioned as an advanced network-security unit for IT and software-engineering pathways.
The unit joins protocol reasoning with Python-based labs, bypass thinking and a final practical-and-report assessment.
Assessment in fit5037 is distributed as follows: 30% class tests, a 30% hands-on assignment demonstration and a 40% final practical-and-report assignment
The operational assessment conditions matter here.
No final examination appears in the current assessment structure; the final 40% item is a practical-and-report assignment.
What makes fit5037 demanding is concrete: tracing a network attack through protocol state and trust assumptions before selecting controls, rather than naming a fashionable defence without testing bypass or residual risk
The landed current unit-information deck says marks must average at least 50; no separate component hurdle is published in the retrieved current surfaces.
For enrolment planning, The current Handbook lists FIT4165 for specified Software Engineering students and expects networking, Unix and basic cryptography knowledge.
Start with Network-Security Foundations and Threat Models; use Denial of Service and Wireless Security as the turning point; finish by bringing the course together in Penetration Testing and Authorised Validation.
Worked example · free
Threat-model a public Wi-Fi login
- 1Name credentials, session and device state as assets.
- 1Trace DNS, certificate and transport validation paths.
- 1Identify downgrade, captive-portal and credential-reuse risks.
- 1Layer client validation, MFA and monitoring controls.
- 1State residual device and user-interface risks.
Key terms
- security property
- A protected objective such as confidentiality, integrity, availability, authenticity or accountability. This chapter uses the concept when students connect network architecture and attacker position to specific security properties.
- threat model
- Structured statement of assets, adversary capabilities, trust boundaries and attack goals. It helps explain the reasoning required to connect network architecture and attacker position to specific security properties.
- attack surface
- Set of reachable interfaces and states through which an adversary can influence the system. Its limit matters because a generic attacker list cannot determine risk without assets, access and assumptions.
- public-key infrastructure
- Roles, policies and technical systems that issue, bind, validate and revoke public-key credentials. This chapter uses the concept when students verify identity binding, chain, name, time and revocation rather than accepting encryption alone.
- certificate chain
- Ordered set of signed certificates linking an end entity to a trusted root under validation rules. It helps explain the reasoning required to verify identity binding, chain, name, time and revocation rather than accepting encryption alone.
- revocation
- Mechanism for indicating that a certificate or key binding should no longer be trusted before expiry. Its limit matters because a mathematically valid signature is insufficient when the name, issuer, key usage or trust anchor is wrong.
- transport security
- Protection applied to end-to-end application transport, including authentication, confidentiality and integrity. This chapter uses the concept when students trace handshake, negotiation and session state through attack and control.
- downgrade attack
- Adversarial negotiation that forces weaker protocol versions, ciphers or security properties. It helps explain the reasoning required to trace handshake, negotiation and session state through attack and control.
- session hijacking
- Unauthorised use of an established session token or transport state to act as a legitimate party. Its limit matters because strong ciphers cannot repair weak certificate validation, token handling or downgrade policy.
- domain name system
- Distributed hierarchical system mapping names to resource records through authoritative and recursive resolution. This chapter uses the concept when students trace a query through stub, recursive and authoritative roles and test spoofing controls.
- cache poisoning
- Insertion of false DNS data into a resolver cache so later clients receive attacker-chosen answers. It helps explain the reasoning required to trace a query through stub, recursive and authoritative roles and test spoofing controls.
- DNSSEC
- Signature framework that authenticates DNS data origin and integrity through a chain of trust. Its limit matters because DNSSEC authenticates data but does not by itself provide confidentiality or service availability.
- email spoofing
- Forging or misleading sender identity information to make a message appear to originate elsewhere. This chapter uses the concept when students connect message path, domain alignment and user action to spoofing resistance.
- SPF/DKIM/DMARC
- Complementary controls for authorised sending sources, cryptographic message signing and receiver policy/alignment. It helps explain the reasoning required to connect message path, domain alignment and user action to spoofing resistance.
FIT5037 FAQ
Where do students usually lose marks in fit5037?
tracing a network attack through protocol state and trust assumptions before selecting controls, rather than naming a fashionable defence without testing bypass or residual risk
How is fit5037 assessed?
30% class tests, a 30% hands-on assignment demonstration and a 40% final practical-and-report assignment
What is the fit5037 final assessed-task format?
No final examination appears in the current assessment structure; the final 40% item is a practical-and-report assignment.
Does fit5037 have a hurdle or component-level pass rule?
The landed current unit-information deck says marks must average at least 50; no separate component hurdle is published in the retrieved current surfaces.
Which offering does this fit5037 guide cover?
It is aligned to Semester 2, 2026; confirm your enrolled class and timetable in the current institutional system.
What prerequisites or restrictions apply to fit5037?
The current Handbook lists FIT4165 for specified Software Engineering students and expects networking, Unix and basic cryptography knowledge.
Is this fit5037 resource an official university guide?
No. It is an independent fit5037 study resource; current institutional instructions remain authoritative for assessment operation.
Which current fit5037 dates are captured?
Class test and Assignment 1 release: Week 6; Final assignment release: Week 10. Confirm any change and the exact submission setting in the live LMS.
Questions students ask in each FIT5037 chapter
- What is the main task in Network-Security Foundations and Threat Models?
- Connect network architecture and attacker position to specific security properties. Chapter 01 · Network-Security Foundations and Threat Models
- What is the main task in Public-Key Infrastructure and Certificate Validation?
- Verify identity binding, chain, name, time and revocation rather than accepting encryption alone. Chapter 02 · Public-Key Infrastructure and Certificate Validation
- What is the main task in Transport-Layer Attacks and Secure Sessions?
- Trace handshake, negotiation and session state through attack and control. Chapter 03 · Transport-Layer Attacks and Secure Sessions
- What is the main task in DNS Security and Name Resolution?
- Trace a query through stub, recursive and authoritative roles and test spoofing controls. Chapter 04 · DNS Security and Name Resolution
- What is the main task in Email Security and Message Authentication?
- Connect message path, domain alignment and user action to spoofing resistance. Chapter 05 · Email Security and Message Authentication
- What is the main task in Denial of Service and Wireless Security?
- Distinguish volumetric, protocol, application and wireless attack mechanisms. Chapter 06 · Denial of Service and Wireless Security
- What is the main task in IPSec and Virtual Private Networks?
- Choose tunnel endpoints and policy that match the traffic and trust boundary. Chapter 07 · IPSec and Virtual Private Networks
- What is the main task in Intrusion Detection and Security Telemetry?
- Design detection with data source, threshold, false-positive cost and response. Chapter 08 · Intrusion Detection and Security Telemetry
- What is the main task in Firewalls, NAC, Proxies and Caching?
- Combine segmentation, access admission and application mediation. Chapter 09 · Firewalls, NAC, Proxies and Caching
- What is the main task in BGP Security and Interdomain Routing?
- Trace how an announcement changes path selection and apply origin and operational controls. Chapter 10 · BGP Security and Interdomain Routing
- What is the main task in Penetration Testing and Authorised Validation?
- Plan and report penetration testing without crossing scope or overstating impact. Chapter 11 · Penetration Testing and Authorised Validation
How to prepare for the assessments
Retrieve the course map, practise the recurring method—name the asset, principals, trust boundary and attacker capability, trace the vulnerable protocol or configuration state, then layer prevention, detection and response while documenting residual risk—on changed scenarios, and verify every operational assessment detail in the live institutional system.
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