COM6017: Security of Embedded and Control Systems

Assignment 2. Individual Poster Development (100 Marks)

This assessment contributes 30% to the overall mark for the COM6017 module.

Intermediate poster submission deadline: 1500 on Friday 01 May 2024.

Comments on posters by 1500 Monday 06 May 2024.

Final submission deadline: 1500 on Friday 13 May 2024.

You are required to produce a poster (in pdf format) on the subject of the security of Industrial

Control System. Your poster should present three clearly defined sections addressing the

following:

a) what are major threats to these sorts of systems;

b) what solutions have been developed to address those threats; and

c) what issues are likely to prove very challenging in the future for these systems

You should assume that the audience for your poster has a general cybersecurity background but

does not specialise in the target area. Your poster should show evidence of independent analysis

of recent research in security of Industrial Control System (ICS), by covering and providing

references to existing research literature.

There is a collaborative team element to this assessment. The teams are the same as those for the

Team Report assessment component. You should provide one criticism for each draft poster

developed by your team members. (See below.) A team member may act on any or all criticisms

received, i.e. he or she may change their draft poster as a result (incorporating received

suggestions into their final submitted poster). Criticisms themselves are not marked, but you are

required to reflect on the criticisms made. See below.

For practical purposes, two Blackboard assignments will be set up: one for a draft submission and

one for the final submission. It is the final submission that will be marked.

You should each upload a draft of your poster to Blackboard by 1500 on 01 May 2024. The draft

will not be assessed. It will serve only to document who had produced what at this time and will

allow the markers to see the version on which comments were made.

The team should agree how they will share their draft posters for comment. Each team member

should share a document that gives his or her criticisms for the posters of the rest of the team.

You should provide ONE improvement suggestion for each draft individual poster in your team

by 1500 on 06 May 2024.

For the final submission you should also submit a separate document (“Commentary on

Feedback”) indicating which two received suggestions you found most useful and why, and which

single suggestion you made on another student’s poster you think was most useful and why (450

words maximum). At the end of your commentary, you should state all comments you received on

your poster. This text will not contribute to the overall word count.

In detail, the available marks (100) are allocated as follows:

A. Technical Content (40 marks)

1. Understanding of ICS Security (10 marks)

• 0-5: Basic to no understanding displayed.

• 6-10: Comprehensive and detailed understanding shown.

2. Relevance and Importance (10 marks)

• 0-5: Minimal to no explanation of the importance of security.

• 6-10: Clear and persuasive explanation of the critical importance of security in ICS.

3. Threats and Mitigations (10 marks)

• 0-5: Limited identification of threats and generic strategies.

• 6-10: Detailed identification of ICS-specific threats and tailored mitigation strategies.

4. Future Security Outlook (10 marks)

• 0-5: Basic or no discussion of future challenges.

• 6-10: In-depth analysis of emerging security challenges and proactive measures.

B. Presentation Quality (40 marks)

1. Structure and Design (10 marks)

• 0-5: Confusing structure or poor visual design.

• 6-10: Clear, logical structure with high visual appeal.

2. Diagrammatic and Textual Clarity (10 marks)

• 0-5: Basic or ineffective use of diagrams and text.

• 6-10: Effective and enhancing use of diagrams and text.

3. Information Balance and Accessibility (10 marks)

• 0-5: Poor balance, difficult to comprehend.

• 6-10: Well-balanced, accessible, and easy to comprehend.

4. Titles and Typography (10 marks)

• 0-5: Inadequate use affecting readability.

• 6-10: Excellent use that aids comprehension and navigation.

C. Feedback Utilization (20 marks)

1. Feedback Insight and Application (10 marks)

• 0-5: Limited or irrelevant feedback used.

• 6-10: Insightful feedback effectively incorporated.

2. Suggestions and Justifications (10 marks)

• 0-5: Generic or poorly justified suggestions.

• 6-10: Well-justified, specific suggestions that enhance security focus.

Marks are not gained competitively. The poster will be assessed solely on its own merits. You will

not receive marks for the comments you make on other students’ posters. You will not incur any

penalty if you receive a helpful suggestion and then act on it to improve your poster. Indeed, acting

on such feedback is positively encouraged.

However, you will also have access to your fellow students’ draft posters. You must not copy

content or simply adopt a similar style. You may respond to suggestions you receive, but should do

so by developing your own creative response. Some comments may be acted on directly, e.g. a

comment such as “You need to increase font size since I cannot easily read your text” can be safely

acted on in a direct manner.

You may talk with the student who made a particular suggestion if you do not fully understand

what the suggestion means. However, such dialogue should be for purposes of clarification only. If

you simply don’t agree with a suggestion, you don’t need to act on it. You certainly don’t need to

argue about it!

You bear responsibility for your poster; you choose which feedback to act on.

You should aim to be collegial and provide constructive comments at all times.

In c) above marks are available for showing effective reflection on the giving and receiving of

feedback.

You should assume that a poster, if printed, would be of size A2.