Intel/Law Enforce: Cybr Domain

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Students of this course will develop a toolbox of analytical techniques for studying past, present, and future cyber adversaries much like cyber analysts or FBI agents who target cyber adversaries would employ. Students will gain an understanding of nuanced differences between current adversaries in the cyber domain, ranging from financially motivated cyber criminals to politically, personally, or economically driven nation-state actors--and a range of adversaries in between. They will learn the value of tactical, technical knowledge of cyber actors, and they will discover how cyber intelligence, counterintelligence, and law enforcement require an equal grasp of the strategic motivations of those actors. The focus will be on the tradecraft and processes affected by the world of cyber operations as well as the intelligence cycle in this new environment. We will delve into the basics of attribution and methods by which cybersecurity professionals attribute hacking activities to specific actors or groups. We will discuss methods by which governments, law enforcement, and private security companies assess adversaries' reasons for hacking as well as various response and deterrence tools that intelligence and law enforcement professionals have at their disposal, and cost-benefit analysis weighed by intelligence/law enforcement professionals when making decisions on actions to be taken. This baseline knowledge will be applied to real-world adversaries--cyber criminals, terrorists, hacktivists, and nation-state actors via case studies. We will study the financial motivations of cyber criminals, the unique money laundering methods they use, and the ways in which intelligence and law enforcement professionals track them. No prior knowledge or experience in cybersecurity or technology is expected in this course.