IT 450: Information Warfare
Contents
Covers information warfare principles and technologies. Information warfare
concepts; Protocols, Authentication, and Encryption; Network attack techniques,
methodologies, and tools; Network defense; Malware: trojans, worms, viruses,
and malicious code; Electronic crimes and digital evidence.
This course (IT 450) is not a prerequisite for any other IT course.
This course is normally scheduled every fall semester.
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under construction...)
The following content areas will be covered.
- Information Warfare Concepts (about 15 hours)
- Protocols, Authentication, and Encryption (about 15 hours)
- Network attack techniques, methodologies and tools (about 10 hours)
- Network defense (about 10 hours)
- Malware: Trojans, Viruses, Worms, and Malicious Code (about 5 hours)
- Electronic Crimes and Digital Evidence (about 5 hours)
Additional topics may also be covered based on time and student interest.
By the end of this course, you should be able to
- defend the role of offensive information warfare
- explain the advantages of intelligence in industrial espionage
- explain the civilian role in information warfare
- explain the law enforcement role in information warfare
- explain the military role in information warfare
- explain the role of defensive information warfare
- explain US Government concerns about the information infrastructure
- apply network sniffer on a network to capture data
- demonstrate how to use an encrypted email system
- utilize one-time passwords, Kerberos, and other authentication systems
- utilize password cracking and password resetting tools
- utilize screening routers and software filters
- utilize security probing software to determine the weaknesses of a computer system
- discuss hacker motivations
- examine the professional hacker's methodology for attacking a network
- infer hacker techniques, tools and methodologies
- infer ways to maintain access to a network
- analyze insider attack threats
- analyze perimeter attack threats
- analyze the output of network scans to find attacks
- infer hacker techniques, tools and methodologies
- analyze the impact of various forms of malware
- analyze the threat posed by spyware
- differentiate between various forms of malware
- classify the levels of jurisdiction over a computer crime
- classify the steps for an initial response to an incident
- comprehend the legal issues with regard to preserving digital evidence
- explain how a network security specialist can help the collection of digital evidence
- explain how to handle a computer incident
- explain the difficulties in prosecuting a computer crime incident
- explain the factors involved in identifying a computer incident
- explain the steps in planning for a computer incident
- identify and explain the incident response goals and priorities
Final textbook choice is determined by the instructor, who may
choose a textbook similar to one the following. This list can give you an
idea of the course topics, coverage, and depth.
- Forno, Baklarz, The Art of Information Warfare: Insight into the Knowledge Warrior Philosophy, Universal Publishers, 1999(ISBN: 1581128576)
- McClure, Scambray, Kurtz, Hacking Exposed (5), McGraw-Hill, 2005(ISBN: 0072260815)
- Shulsky, Schmitt, Silent Warfare Understanding the World of Intelligence (3), Potomac Books, 2002(ISBN: 1-57488-345-3)
Additional readings may be assigned by the instructor.
