College of Arts and Sciences - Department of Computer Science and Statistics - Digital Forensics
CSC414 - Computer System Fundamentals
Sample Lecture
View our introductory lecture to CSC414. All of our lectures are pre-recorded and delivered to students as a downloadable or streaming .wmv file. Watch our CSC414 lecture that introduces you to the course.
Course Description
CSC414 is the first course of the all degree and certificate programs. This course is designed to give students a foundation in the fundamentals of computer concepts and how computers and networks work - using forensics to illustrate. By learning about computers and networks at the operating level, students will better understand the advanced issues that come into play when performing forensic acquisition and analysis. This course also places a strong emphasis on learning and understanding the A+ (computer hardware) material. While this is not a course in A+ test preparation, this course does use an A+ test preparation text as part of its teaching material. We encourage our students to use this as a starting point and with a few extra hours of studying each week, students should be prepared to take and pass the A+ examination. The A+ certification is a useful certification to have in the industry, and it conveys to employers, clients, and juries that you understand the underlying principles and foundations of your investigations.
Semester Taught
CSC414 is taught in the Summer and Fall semesters.
Prerequisites
Admittance into one of our Degree or Certificate Programs. There are no other prerequisites for this course.
Course Format
CSC414 is taught entirely online. This course is composed of weekly modules that include an assigned reading, an online video lecture, a quiz, and a hands on assignment. Students will have access to all of the necessary material through an online classroom that is maintained by the University. Part of this online classroom is a discussion board that allows students to anonymously communicate with each other and the instructor. This discussion board is used to discuss current issues in the field as well as to trouble shoot problems that students may be having with homework assignments. The discussion board is unique in that it has been designed to function similarly to a professional list-serve that professionals use in the industry. Students can also have additional access to the instructors through an online meeting application that allows both student and instructor to share the contents of their desktops. This way instructors can see exactly what students are doing and provide help and assistance as necessary.
Course Topics
- Data - Binary/Hex
- Computer Hardware
- Computer Memory
- Disks
- File Systems (FAT)
- Microsoft Workstation OSs
- File Systems (EXT)
- Introduction to Linux OSs
- Linux Forensic Boot Disks (Helix)
- Basic Networking
Required Materials
- A+ Certification Text, Mike Meyers, Current Edition
- File System Forensic Analysis, Brian Carrier
- Windows XP Machine with 5 Gigs of free space, 2 Gigs of RAM, and a high-speed internet connection
Apply Now
Apply Now to the University of Rhode Island.
Apply Now to the Digital Forensics Undergraduate Minor.
Apply Now to our Digital Forensics Professional Certificate Program.
Apply Now to our Digital Forensics Graduate Certificate Program.
Coming Soon
Starting in Spring 2010 URI will be offering a full course in EnCase Forensics Software. This course will be eligible to any student who is currently enrolled in one of the degree or certificate programs and has successfully completed CSC485 or CSC585. Enroll now to be one of the first students eligible. Students who complete the course will be eligible to take their EnCe certification test.
