ITE534 Cyberwarfare and Terrorism (8)

This subject explores the increasing threats to personal, corporate and national security from the cyber warfare and terrorism perspectives. Students commence by studying the principal motivations behind cyber attacks, which may be political, ideological, vengeance oriented, or profit based. The increasing incidence of such attacks is explored, and examples given of key military and government computing systems being subverted through digital warfare or terrorism. Students also learn how it may be possible to defend and prevent such attacks through the use of policy, procedure and technical controls. The subject will conclude with an analysis of future trends in the nature of cyber warfare and terrorist activities.

Availability

Session 1 (30)
Online
Wagga Wagga Campus

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: ITE534. Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject Information

Grading System

HD/FL

Duration

One session

School

School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering

Enrolment Restrictions

Only available to students enrolled in IT Masters relevant courses.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to discuss and analyse trends in cyber warfare and terrorism and the increasing impact of such events on the security landscape;
  • be able to compare and contrast the different types of cyber security threats, including cyber terrorism, cyber crime, and cyber warfare;
  • be able to analyse examples of actual cyber terrorist attacks and to explain their motivations, method of operation, and impacts;
  • be able to distinguish between private, corporate, and national cyber attack events and their motivations;
  • be able to analyse the main types of cyber attacks and the various tactics and strategies used during attacks;
  • be able to propose security policy, procedural and technical controls to mitigate the threats of different types of cyber attacks and the risks they present.

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:
  • Cyber attacks and defences
  • Cyber espionage
  • Cyber sabotage
  • Cyber politics and vandalism
  • Nation state malware, for example, Stuxnet
  • Cyber attack motivations including hacktivism, private sector, and military
  • Cyber terrorism and cyber warfare
  • Cyber monitoring, surveillance and intelligence
  • SCADA systems and public infrastructure
  • The future of warfare

Indicative Assessment

The following table summarises the assessment tasks for the online offering of ITE534 in Session 1 2021. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated and can also differ to suit the mode of study (online or on campus).

Item Number
Title
Value %
1
Cyber warfare and terrorism essay
15
2
Selection of cyber incident to research
35
3
The future of cyber warfare
50

The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: June 2022. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

Back