How to Think Like a Hacker: an Anatomy of Cyber Attacks
Duration:
1 Teaching Period
Unit Code:
CYB60001
Contact Hours:
Recommended 10 hours of study per week
About this unit
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’.
Content
- Critically review different forms of hacking behaviour and explain the mindsets and the motivations behind hacking
- Identify and differentiate the various tactics that hackers use in breaching communication networks and information system
- Explain and measure the profit models and value chain behind hackers’ activities
- Critically evaluate standard business security practices from the viewpoint of a hacker
- Recommend processes and practices to reduce the likelihood of data breaches