How to Think Like a Hacker: an anatomy of cyber attacks
Duration
- One Semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 150 contact hours - Swinburne Online
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning. For Online unit delivery, learning is conducted exclusively online.
2023 teaching periods
| Swinburne Online Teaching Period 3 |
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|---|---|---|
Dates: Results: Last self enrolment: Census: Last withdraw without fail: |
Aims and objectives
Understanding the adversary is a first step to countering cybersecurity threats. This unit introduces the field of cybersecurity by focusing on the mindsets, methods and motivations of the key actors: hackers. Hackers often tap into basic social norms and mores, such as people’s desire to be helpful and friendly, as well as seeing gaps in processes - and having a willingness to exploit them. Their motivations for doing so can be from diverse range of reasons, from simple curiosity and intellectual challenge to financial gain, to political causes, whether it’s state-sponsored attacks and intelligence gathering to “hacktivism
Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO)
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1.Critically review different forms of hacking behaviour and explain the mindsets and the motivations behind hacking
2. Identify and differentiate the various tactics that hackers use in breaching communication networks and information system
3. Explain and measure the profit models and value chain behind hackers' activities
4. Critically evaluate standard business security practices from the viewpoint of a hacker
5. Recommend processes and practices to reduce the likelihood of data breaches
2. Identify and differentiate the various tactics that hackers use in breaching communication networks and information system
3. Explain and measure the profit models and value chain behind hackers' activities
4. Critically evaluate standard business security practices from the viewpoint of a hacker
5. Recommend processes and practices to reduce the likelihood of data breaches
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment and content.
Teaching methods
Swinburne Online
Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.5 | 12 | 150 |
TOTAL | 150 hours |
Assessment
Types | Individual/Group Role | Weighting | Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) |
| Assignment | Individual | 50-60% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Project | Individual | 40-50% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Content
• Social history of hackers
• Motivations of hackers: criminal, financial gain, state-sponsored, hacktivism, mischief (“script kiddies”), curiosity and notoriety
• Types of attacks (packet injection, man in the middle, phishing, spear phishing, advanced persistent threats, candy drops etc.)
• Social engineering and the human factors in security
• Physical security and its relation to protecting digital assets (e.g. tailgating staff through security controlled doors)
• The self in cyberspace – identity
• How to source and hunt threat intelligence e.g. Unit 42
• Motivations of hackers: criminal, financial gain, state-sponsored, hacktivism, mischief (“script kiddies”), curiosity and notoriety
• Types of attacks (packet injection, man in the middle, phishing, spear phishing, advanced persistent threats, candy drops etc.)
• Social engineering and the human factors in security
• Physical security and its relation to protecting digital assets (e.g. tailgating staff through security controlled doors)
• The self in cyberspace – identity
• How to source and hunt threat intelligence e.g. Unit 42
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required texts will be made available in the Unit Outline.