[Biggsx]

Does anyone here do this course at Coventry or know anything about it?

Also, I'd be coming from London so is the nightlife any good here?

[Mad Vlad]

Originally Posted by Biggsx

Does anyone here do this course at Coventry or know anything about it?

Also, I'd be coming from London so is the nightlife any good here?

I've just finished my first year of DFSS. What would you like to know?

[Biggsx]

Originally Posted by Mad Vlad

I've just finished my first year of DFSS. What would you like to know?

How did you find the course in general? How was the university itself?

[Mad Vlad]

Originally Posted by Biggsx

How did you find the course in general? How was the university itself?

The course is excellent. There's a bit of common programme stuff in Year 1 that may not seem hugely relevant, but it is useful in the grand scheme of things. Looking in depth at the schema for years 2 and 3, they are far more focussed and relevant. The university is well equipped. As DFSS is a new course, we've got new books, new equipment (including FRED), industry standard software like EnCase (which you get trained on in Year 2 and 3), the lecturers are enthusiastic, competent and helpful, and it's worth noting that the course was developed in partnership with industry, so it's very focussed to what industry wants from its graduates.

[Ice_Queen]

That's a degree? Class!!!

What year are you, Mad Vlad? First or second?

[Mad Vlad]

Originally Posted by Ice_Queen

That's a degree? Class!!!

What year are you, Mad Vlad? First or second?

First

[Ice_Queen]

Originally Posted by Mad Vlad

First

Awww you're ickle!

How did you do in the first year?

[Mad Vlad]

Originally Posted by Ice_Queen

Awww you're ickle!

How did you do in the first year?

Hahaha. I passed with a First - 86%

[Ice_Queen]

Originally Posted by Mad Vlad

Hahaha. I passed with a First - 86%

Very well done! Hope the rest continues as well as that! You'd be surprised at the jump! (At least, that's what happened for us)

[Klincoln]

I'm starting the Ethical Hackng course in sept, but looking through, I think the first year is just your generic CompSci course, not offering much in the way of specialisation

[Mad Vlad]

Originally Posted by Klincoln

I'm starting the Ethical Hackng course in sept, but looking through, I think the first year is just your generic CompSci course, not offering much in the way of specialisation

This is fairly common to all courses. You do a generic common programme and then branch out in years 2 and 3. It's not to say that it's not revelant/useful, however.

[Colcut]

Bumping, just got transfered to Ethical hacking.
Going to be annoying not knowing anyone in class!

[r74n]

what prior knowledge programming or generic computing related would be needed for this ethical hacking degree would i need to be fluent in a language?

...other than English

[Colcut]

Doesn't seem like any knowledge is required at all, the course is the same as all the other computer sci courses for the first year, then 1 module in ethical hacking in year one/two/three.

[r74n]

well i have another year at college. i've read kevin mitnick art of deception and am just moving onto intrusion, they are really interesting. but i would appreciate a student currently doing this course to post their reading list please so i can get a headstart. i am currently in the process of de-noobing myself with linux as i would imagine the ethical hacking modules are linux based because you cant hack with windows. FACT! im bored with breaking into surrounding networks and man in the middle attacking my sisters comp and quoting her msn conversations back to her. theres only so many times u can read conversations about shoes

wow i seem to have rambled,

apoligies

so in short anyone got the reading list for this course or a teaching scheme thats a bit more in depth than the uni site.

[Klincoln]

Nah, not yet man... although the actual hacking sections seems pretty basic anyway. As far as I am aware, there isn't alot of linux knowledge required, all they will teach you are the basics such as NMAP, Wireshark, Cain and Abel and metasploit..

I'll keep this updated when I get new info though

[r74n]

ok so i went to open day digital forensics doesnt appeal to me as much as ethical hacking but i knew that anyway. the ethical hacking course offers Cisco training as the advantage (optional) modules Cisco CCNA. they also offer internships at cisco too. as for course content the 1st year is quite generic to most computer science courses, in that it is an introduction to programming, logic & sets (boolean algebra is about as mathematical as it gets apparently) and ive covered that in Alevel electronics. she went on to say that a hell of alot of people apply so competition is tough among applicants however if i got onto a computer science course and migrate to ethical hacking after first year i would have to take 1 extra module in 2nd year to convert (i confirmed this with the course head). so its not all bad. the cisco training is a bonus tho :P the digital forensics seems interesting and i may put it as a choice. a bit of information on the course in terms of course content would b nice tho as i didnt get a chance to ask about that as my priority was ethical hacking info.

[Mad Vlad]

Originally Posted by r74n

ok so i went to open day digital forensics doesnt appeal to me as much as ethical hacking but i knew that anyway. the ethical hacking course offers Cisco training as the advantage (optional) modules Cisco CCNA. they also offer internships at cisco too. as for course content the 1st year is quite generic to most computer science courses, in that it is an introduction to programming, logic & sets (boolean algebra is about as mathematical as it gets apparently) and ive covered that in Alevel electronics. she went on to say that a hell of alot of people apply so competition is tough among applicants however if i got onto a computer science course and migrate to ethical hacking after first year i would have to take 1 extra module in 2nd year to convert (i confirmed this with the course head). so its not all bad. the cisco training is a bonus tho :P the digital forensics seems interesting and i may put it as a choice. a bit of information on the course in terms of course content would b nice tho as i didnt get a chance to ask about that as my priority was ethical hacking info.

I would definitely advise you take DFSS over Ethical Hacking. As glamourous as Ethical hacking sounds, it's a glorified computing degree. I find it laughable that in my Computer Law lecture a week or two ago, I saw a 2nd year Ethical Hacking student try to guess the Root password in a terminal window; trying to connect to the uni's Unix Services system.

You can do (and are strongly encouraged to do) Cisco CCNA as the Add+Vantage modules for all 3 years for Digital Forensics, too. Taking an extra module in year 2 will be harder than you think; 120 credits of work is difficult enough.

What you must remember is that Digital Forensics and System Security covers a lot of the Ethical Hacking content; "know your enemy" etc.

And then, if you're looking at where it's going to get you to, career-wise; Digital Forensics beats Ethical Hacking hands down. With EH, all you're qualified to do is be a Penetration Tester/Network Security consultant - a contract gun for hire. Digital Forensics and System Security offers a much broader spectrum of careers, ranging from working for the public sector, in the Police, Forensic Science Service, SOCA, CEOP, GCHQ, MI5, SIS, HMRC, DWP. Or alternatively, working in the private sector for "The Big 4" auditors (KPMG, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, PwC and Ernst & Young) as well as companies like Goldman Sachs and international banks like Barclays, HSBC, Citigroup etc., hundreds of smaller forensics/consultancy practices or for yourself as a private consultant.

I can't get access to the programme guide for Digital Forensics at the moment (the server's down for maintenance), but i'll see if I can get it for you later.

[r74n]

as i said i am considering both.

the course spec would be appreciated as the site lacks alot of detail

thanks

[jamiemac2005]

Are both considered a computing subject? i'm on Computer Science and all the subjects are sort of squashed together (everyone does the same thing the first year). I'm currently considering switching to Software Enginnering (and i have the whole year to decide)... But i know there are some more specialist subjects which have a differed first year.