14-850: INSuRE Cybersecurity Research

14-850: INSuRE Cybersecurity Research - Fall 2017



Course Project: Project Progress Report and Presentation (group)

Due: November 3, 2017

Description: The purpose of the progress report is to provide a snapshot of the work already accomplished, the work in progress, and the remaining work that will be completed by the end of the semester. Each team will submit a progress report document that includes (in any form):
  1. A modified project description that captures any issues or changes since the project start;
  2. A timeline indicating both the proposed milestones, current progress, and modified milestones;
  3. A summary of work completed;
  4. A summary of work in progress;
  5. A summary of work remaining to be done;
  6. A detailed account of any project difficulties experienced (e.g., technical problems, knowledge gaps, team problems, etc.) and how they were handled; and
  7. A preliminary plan for archival and sharing of project artifacts for future use by other teams.
  8. A brief description of the overall team effort and engagement levels of individual team members.
The progress report can build off the previous proposal, and any changes to project goals, plan, schedule, etc. should be clearly described.

Tasks:
  1. Assessement of progress - Possibly the most important step in preparing the progress report and presentation is understanding the level of progress made and the challenges encountered. The team should reflect back on their original project proposal, identify whether they are tracking with their expected milestones and outcomes, and critically analyze any differences between the plan and the reality. It's usually the case that teams stray from their expectation for one reason or another, and that's normal.
  2. Revising the project plan - Once the team has reflected on any differences between their original plan and their project's reality, it's important to concretely update the project plan for the remainder of the project duration. The progress update thus serves as a sort of "re-proposal" to revise and update the project plan given the reality of the first half of the project.
  3. Preparation of deliverables - The team will prepare two artifacts for this project deliverable: a progress report and a presentation that will be given in class to all participating INSuRE teams across organizations. The progress report will serve as both a progress update and a revision to the project proposal/plan, and the document should focus on these two major components (but including everything listed above). The presentation is the first time other teams will be exposed to what the team is doing, so it should also include a brief introduction to the project and original plan.

Deliverables and Submission: At least one member of the team should submit .pdf versions of the project progress report and presentation slides via Canvas by the above deadline; if multiple group members submit, the latest submission will be taken as final. All team member names should be included on the first page of the progress report and on the first slide of the presentation. Please note, the progress report document and presentation slides will be archived on the PURR repository and available to all current and future students, instructors, and sponsors involved in INSuRE course offerings across multiple universities and organizations. As such, students should refrain from including any sensitive personal or proprietary information in their project artifacts.

Grading: The in-class presentation deliverable is worth 20 points: four (4) points for reiterating the high-level problem area, six (6) points for a consise summary of the expected goals and outcomes of the project, two (2) points for a brief description of the challenges faced, and eight (8) points for a summary of the work done and yet to do. The written progress report deliverable is also worth 20 points: four (4) points for a clearly updated project description, two (2) points for an updated project timeline, three (3) points for a summary of work completed, two (2) points for a summary of work in progres, two (2) points for a summary of work remaining to be done, three (3) points for a description of challenges faced and how they were mitigated/addressed, two (2) points for an initial plan for how the project work will be archived and shared, and two (2) points for a summary of individual team member effort and engagement in the team.