ITT450: Information & Network Security

COVID-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered

coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most people infected with
the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without
requiring special treatment. The COVID-19 can be spread from person to person. However,
the virus seems to be spreading easily and sustainability in the community (“community
spread”) in some affected geographic areas. In the digital environment, the coronavirus’s
infection has similarities with logic bomb infection which the destruction will happen after 14
days affected. By referring to this current issue, students need to investigate, how the
COVID-19 similar to the digital virus infections as the following:

1) Pick one affected country by COVID -19. Study the spreading methods of COVID -19 in
the selected country and translate it into pseudocode. (20 marks)

2) Find the similarities in destructive impacts between COVID-19 and the logic bomb. (10
marks)

3) List out the target of attacks and identify the characteristics of devices that prone to be
compromised by the attacks. (10 marks)

4) Based on your answers in 2, draft out a guideline to the user to prevent this kind of attack.
(30 Marks)

5) Please suggest protection methods and how to deal with the attacks when compromised.
(30 marks)

Note:

Please REFER to the given RUBRIC as a GUIDELINE to answer ALL questions.

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 ITT450: Information & Network Security

Criteria Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Score

(8 – 10) (5 – 7) (3 – 4) (0 – 2)
1 Explanation of the Thoroughly researched and Satisfactorily researched Partially researched and Insufficiently researched
spreading method explained the spreading and explained the explained the spreading and explained the
(10 marks) method spreading method method spreading method

Translation of the The pseudocode of The pseudocode of The pseudocode of The pseudocode of
spreading method to spreading method is spreading method is spreading method is spreading method is
pseudocode thoroughly and very well satisfactorily translated partially translated insufficiently translated
(10 marks) translated

2 Similarities in Thoroughly identified and
destructive impacts explained the similarities in
between COVID-19 and destructive impact between
the logic bomb COVID-19 and logic bomb
(10 marks) – at least 3 similarities
3 Target of attacks and Thoroughly identified and
characteristics of listed the target of attacks
devices that prone to be and characteristics of
compromised by the devices that prone to be
attacks compromised by the
(10 marks) attacks – at least 3 targets
and 3 characteristics
Satisfactorily identified and
explained the similarities in
destructive impact between
COVID-19 and logic bomb
– at least 2 similarities
Satisfactorily identified and
listed the target of attacks
and characteristics of
devices that prone to be
compromised by the
attacks – at least 2 targets
and 2 characteristics
Partially identified and
explained the similarities
in destructive impact
between COVID-19 and
logic bomb – at least 1
similarity
identified and listed the
target of attacks and
characteristics of devices
that prone to be
compromised by the
attacks – at least 1 target
and 1 characteristic
Insufficiently identified
and explained the
similarities in destructive
impact between COVID-
19 and logic bomb – 1
similarity
Insufficiently researched
and identified the target
of attacks and
characteristics of devices
that prone to be
compromised by the
attacks –1 target and 1
characteristic

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 ITT450: Information & Network Security
Criteria Excellent
(25 – 30)
4 Guideline to the user Thoroughly drafted and
to prevent this kind of explained the guideline
attack to the user to prevent
(30 marks) this kind of attack – at
least 3 key points of
guideline
5 Protection method Thoroughly identified
and action taken deal and explained the
with the attacks when protection method and
compromised action taken deal with
(30 marks) the attacks when
compromised – at least
3 protection methods
and 3 actions taken
Case Study
Good Satisfactory Poor Score
(20 – 24) (10 – 19) (0 – 9)
Satisfactorily drafted and Partially drafted and Insufficiently drafted
explained the guideline explained the guideline and explained the
to the user to prevent to the user to prevent guideline to the user to
this kind of attack – at this kind of attack – at prevent this kind of
least 2 key points of least 1 key point of attack – 1 key point of
guideline guideline guideline
Satisfactorily identified Partially identified and Insufficiently identified
and explained the explained the and explained the
protection method and protection method and protection method and
action taken deal with action taken deal with action taken deal with
the attacks when the attacks when the attacks when
compromised – at least compromised – at least compromised – at
2 protection methods 1 protection method least 1 protection
and 2 actions taken and 1 action taken method and 1 action
taken
TOTAL
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