Thinking about Cybersecurity: From Cyber Crime to Cyber Warfare

Overview

The answers to your cybersecurity concerns do not involve robocops—they involve brain power and simple diligence. Cyberspace is the 21st century’s greatest engine of change. Telecommunications, commercial and financial systems, government operations, food production—virtually every aspect of global civilization now depends on interconnected cyber systems to operate; systems that have helped advance medicine, streamline everyday commerce, and so much more.

Thinking about Cybersecurity: From Cyber Crime to Cyber Warfare is your guide to understanding the intricate nature of this pressing subject. Delivered by cybersecurity expert and professor Paul Rosenzweig, these 18 engaging lectures will open your eyes to the structure of the Internet, the unique dangers it breeds, and the ways we’re learning how to understand, manage, and reduce these dangers. In addition, Professor Rosenzweig offers sensible tips on how best to protect yourself, your network, or your business from attack or data loss.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this course are those of the professor and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Course Lessons

01: Stuxnet-The First Cyber Guided Missile

Your introduction to the fascinating—and fascinatingly dangerous—world of cybersecurity begins with the story of “Stuxnet.” Learn how this unique piece of malware, which shut down a uranium enrichment facility in Iran, signaled the dawn of a new age in which viruses and other cyber threats can manipulate the physical world.
Duration: 32 min

02: The Incredible Scope of Cyberspace

What makes the Internet so vulnerable is its ability to connect, and to be connected to, anyone and almost anything. Here, explore how cyberspace works. You’ll learn what goes on behind the scenes of a simple Internet search, how a simple TCP/IP system functions, the five layers of connections that make up a conceptual “map” of cyberspace, and more.
Duration: 30 min

03: The Five Gateways of Internet Vulnerability

Take a closer look at the cyber domain’s inherent vulnerability to cyber threats. Professor Rosenzweig explains the five key gateways to this vulnerability, including the Internet’s ability to destroy time and space; allow users to act in ways they can’t in the physical world; and operate without international boundaries.
Duration: 30 min

04: Of Viruses, Botnets, and Logic Bombs

Learn about some of the most dangerous ways people can exploit the Internet’s vulnerabilities, including DDoS attacks, “Trojans,” and “botnets.” Then, investigate some common defense mechanisms that help pinpoint and capture these threats.
Duration: 32 min

05: The Problem of Identity on the Network

Identification is perhaps the single most profound challenge for cybersecurity today. Delve into the question of network anonymity and identity. Who maintains domain names? How can people obscure their identities for malicious purposes?
Duration: 33 min

06: Cyber Fraud, Theft, and Organized Crime

Professor Rosenzweig leads you on an examination of instances of cybercrime that involve fraud and identity theft. You’ll encounter crimes that mimic real-world ones and “computer crimes” that are only possible in the cyber world.
Duration: 31 min

07: Hacktivists and Insurgency

Enter the netherworld of hacktivism, or the use of computer hacking methods to stage protests and make political statements. Learn to identify and distinguish the “good guys” from the “bad guys” by exploring real-world examples.
Duration: 31 min

08: Nations at Cyber War

Turn now to the highest level of cyber conflict: a cyber war between nation-states. What is meant by the term “cyber war”? How does one fight a battle in cyberspace?
Duration: 33 min

09: Government Regulation of Cyberspace

Join the debate about government regulation of cyberspace with this lecture that considers both sides of the issue.
Duration: 32 min

10: International Governance and the Internet

Continue exploring rules and regulations about the Internet, this time on the international level. Discuss existing Internet governance and the dynamics leading to change.
Duration: 35 min

11: The Constitution and Cyberspace

Focus on the idea of government monitoring of the Internet. Learn about how on-network monitoring systems work and how government monitoring is enforced and limited by the Constitution.
Duration: 33 min

12: Big Data- “They” Know Everything about You

Ponder the problem of “Big Data” – where your Internet searches can be tracked, your cellphone can broadcast your geographical location, and your online purchases can be catalogued.
Duration: 32 min

13: Privacy for the Cyber Age

Explore how the government and private sector use “Big Data” and how we can evolve our privacy laws while embracing new technologies.
Duration: 33 min

14: Listening In and Going Dark

Learn how encryption and wiretapping work in cyberspace, and how both methods are becoming increasingly frustrating for law enforcement and national security officials.
Duration: 34 min

15: The Devil in the Chips-Hardware Failures

Explore hardware-based threats and how compromised hardware poses a critical threat to cybersecurity.
Duration: 31 min

16: Protecting Yourself in Cyberspace

Get practical tips on how to reduce your own risk of danger online in your professional and personal life.
Duration: 31 min

17: Critical Infrastructure and Resiliency

Focus on resiliency and recovery, creating a system that isn’t immune to failure but is less likely to be attacked.
Duration: 32 min

18: Looking Forward-What Does the Future Hold?

Finish the course with a summary of the main issues and arguments involved in the current state of cybersecurity and explore possible future developments.
Duration: 36 min