RESEARCH PROJECT

In the course, we have covered various security and privacy issues that arise in the cyberspace field. We have learned to identify these risks and have discussed the current approaches and developments for mitigating them. In the course project, you are going to select a topic in the area and further investigate it. It is a research-oriented project. You will need to use your research skills to find relevant literature on the topic. You will use critical thinking skills to explore and analyze the details.

PART I - TOPIC SELECTION AND INTRODUCTION

You need to select a topic that is of interest to you and within the area of the course. You can either come up with a topic yourself or choose one provided in the following list. Next, you will find substantive resources on the selected topic, or at least five references from reputable sources such as research articles, whitepapers, well-known websites, etc.

An introduction to the topic with at least 700 words is expected for this part. Biblical worldview should be integrated in an appropriate manner and supported by Scripture. Be sure to include your complete reference information at the end.

Suggested Topics:

1. An overview of Google's cloud computing services and their security

2. An investigation on Facebook privacy issues

3. iOS and its security

4. A survey on government surveillance software

5. Tor security concerns and considerations

PART II -INVESTIGATION AND REVIEW

In part II, you will closely study the materials found on the topic and conduct research to fully understand the relevant details. Based on your research and investigation, you are going to describe your understandings in the review. For example, if you chose "An investigation on Facebook privacy issues" as your topic, you should describe its privacy policies in detail and present different ways to enforce privacy in Facebook. As a result, at least 800 words are expected for this part.Biblical worldview should be integrated in an appropriate manner and supported by Scripture. If you have used additional references in this part, be sure to include them at the end with the references from Part I.

PART III - DISCUSSION AND SUMMARY

Based on the details and your supported understandings in Part II, you are going to further discuss the topic in Part III. Still using "An investigation on Facebook privacy issues" as an example here, you need to evaluate Facebook's approach for privacy and examine the risks. You will answer questions such as "What are the privacy risks using Facebook?" and "What approaches are developed to address such risks?"Again, you will need to conduct research to find the answers to these questions. A thoughtful and coherent discussion is expected for this part,followed by a summary to wrap up your research work. This part should contain at least 1000 words.Biblical worldview should be integrated in an appropriate manner and supported by Scripture. If you have used additional references in this part, be sure to include them at the end with all previous references from Part I and Part II as well.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

It is recommended to include prior part(s) of the course project when you make a submission, i.e., to include the first part of the project when you make the second submission and include the prior two parts when you make the final submission. The final submission with all 3 parts included should containat least 2,500 words.

In addition to course materials and the Bible, a minimum of 5 references is required for this project.

Your submissions should follow current APA formatting style and for guideline details, please refer to the current edition of the APA publication manual.