LD7008 Wireless Networks and Security Assessment 2, 2026 | NU

LD7008 Assessment Brief:

This assignment consists of one component.

A2 – 2000 words submitted plus 10% apart of the tables and references.

Instructions on Assessment:

You are to perform a study on various 802.11 wireless networks to choose a suitable security measure that should be put in place for a given scenario.

This assignment is divided in two parts. The study will be partially theoretical and technical. The technical part (part A) will require you to evaluate the effectiveness of using various standards against known attacks. You will then in part B identify what are the security measures that the company in the chosen scenario should consider implementing.

Part A: Technical flaws research

You will need to investigate several known security flaws on the various 802.11 security protocols. You should demonstrate that were able to exploit those security flaws by exploiting them in your test environment either at home or in the lab.

You should also consider the various possible types of deployment such as in infrastructure deployment of 802.11 or in enterprise mode.

1.WLAN authentication if SSID is hidden and if administrators use MAC filtering.
2.WLAN encryption flaws (WEP, WPA2).
3.802.11 clients and identify flaws and they can be exploited.

Part B: Scenario based interpretation

Based on your findings in part A, you are required to analyse results obtained and choose suitable security measures for your chosen scenario. Following this, you are expected to defend your security choices by comparing your justifications with different research papers discussing the effectiveness of wireless security protocols in different environments.

Effectiveness of the chosen security measures should be evaluated in term of how they can be exploited (if possible), how suitable they are for the environment they will be used in and the threats that the scenario is subject to.

You will need to choose one scenario from the list below:

• A small company that only allows staff to access the network.
• A coffee shop that allows its customers to access the wireless network.
• A large company that has various levels of access controls in their company.
• Guests only network where people can use the network for a specific time.
• A home family wireless network.

Instructions

• You are required to use the template available in assessment page (IEEE template)
• You are expected to use research papers and reference them in your document.

Word count

You should not exceed 5 pages using the template with the same font size. This is roughly around 2000 words.

Mapping to Programme Goals and Objectives

Learning Outcomes tested in this assessment:

The following Learning outcomes will be addressed in this assignment:

• LO1 Understand the global nature of WLAN standards and design.
• LO2. Be able to describe, explain critically and assess wireless and mobile data communication technologies deployed along with associated security issues.
• LO4. Apply suitable security measures to protect wireless networks against known weaknesses
• LO5 Demonstrate their ability to work in culturally diverse groups and teams and make appropriate and personal contributions to team effectiveness

Module Specific Assessment Criteria and Rubric

Assessment Regulations

You are advised to read the guidance for students regarding assessment policies. They are available online here.

Academic Misconduct

The Assessment Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA) contain the Regulations and procedures applying to cheating, plagiarism, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems, and other forms of academic misconduct.
    
The full policy is available here
 
You are reminded that plagiarism, collusion, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Systems, and other forms of academic misconduct, as referred to in the Academic Misconduct procedure of the assessment regulations, are taken very seriously. Assignments in which evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct is found may receive a mark of zero.

Late submission of work 

Where coursework is submitted without approval, after the published hand-in deadline, the following penalties will apply. For coursework submitted up to 1 working day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline without approval, 10% of the total marks available for the assessment (i.e.100%) shall be deducted from the assessment mark.

For clarity: a late piece of work that would have scored 65%, 55% or 45% had it been handed in on time will be awarded 55%, 45% or 35% respectively as 10% of the total available marks will have been deducted.

The Penalty does not apply to Pass/Fail Modules, i.e. there will be no penalty for late submission if assessments on Pass/Fail are submitted up to 1 working day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline.

Coursework submitted more than 1 day (24 hours) after the published hand-in deadline without approval will be marked as zero but will be eligible for referral. The reassessment should where appropriate, and as determined by the Module Leader, be the same method (e.g. essay) but maybe with a different task (e.g. different essay title) or with the same task (e.g. the same essay title) as indicated in the Module handbook. 

In modules where there is more than one assessment component, Students are not required to complete all assessment components if an overall Pass Mark (40% UG, 50% PGT) has been achieved. 

The only permitted exception will be in cases where the University is prevented from doing so by a PSRB requirement. In the case of PSRB requirements, a variation order will be required from the regulations. 

In modules, where there is more than one assessment component and an overall pass mark has not been achieved, Students will be eligible for a referral* in the individual failed module and/or not attempted component(s) of assessment.

These provisions apply to all assessments, including those assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

The full policy can be found here 

Word limits

The word count is to be declared on the front page of your assignment and the assignment cover sheet.  The word count does not include:

The following word counts will not be included e g. appendices, glossary, footnotes, tables and references

Please note, in text citations [e.g. (Smith, 2011)] and direct secondary quotations [e.g. “dib-dab nonsense analysis” (Smith, 2011 p.123)] are INCLUDED in the word count.

If this word count is falsified, students are reminded that under ARTA this will be regarded as academic misconduct.

For those assessments where students are required to keep to the word limit, it is proposed that they should be informed that the marker will stop reading at the point when they judge that the word limit exceeds the recommended word count by more than 10%.  The marker will indicate the point at which they stop reading on the text.  

Students must retain an electronic copy of this assignment (including ALL appendices) and it must be made available within 24hours of them requesting it be submitted.

The full Word Limit Policy is available here

Group Work

The group work policy can be found here

Assessment Guidance Session

Detailed assessment guidance will be given in Week 3 Seminar/lecture.  The Seminar/lecture will provide advice on 

1.Overview of the module learning objectives and align them with a good study plan 
2.How to understand the requirements of the given Wireless security issues.
3.How to conduct/ research further reading about wireless security vulnerabilities
4.how the assessment will be graded against the rubric
5.How to submit the reports( both A1 &A2) and using NU IT system and not miss the deadline.   
You are reminded that recorded assessment guidance will be provided on the eLP Blackboard site for this module after Week 3 Seminar. 

Use of Generative AI within this Assessment

In alignment with Northumbria University’s Academic Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA), section 1.2, you are reminded that “In all assessed work students should take care to ensure that the work presented is their own and that it fully acknowledges the work and opinions of others”.
Unless the assessment specific guidance above requests that you use generative AI in crafting your assessment, AI should not be used to do the core work for you.  You should assume that generative AI may be used as follows:

• AI can help with things like improving grammar, helping with structure format, organising ideas, and generating suggestions. 
• The main content, analysis, and conclusions in your work must always be your own work

Further guidance regarding using AI responsibly and ethically can be found in your student portal here. 
When you submit your assessment, you will be requested to add and sign a declaration of your use of AI in the creation of your work.  A copy of this declaration document is attached to the end of this document.  You should place this signed copy at the front of your submission.  Failure to accurately record your use of such tools may be considered as academic misconduct.

Academic Regulations

As part of the preparation for writing your assessment, you should familiarise yourself with the following policies, all of which can be found here:

• Academic Regulations for Taught Awards (ARTA)
• Academic Misconduct
• Word Limit
• Late Submission of Work
• Short Extensions
• Personal Extenuating Circumstances (PEC)
• Technical Extenuating Circumstances (TEC)
  Please see the module Blackboard site/eLP for further details of how the University Assessment Regulations may affect/support you.