CYBV450 Information Warfare

Course Description

CYBV 450 will provide students with an in-depth overview of the tactics, techniques, procedures, and tools used to conduct and defend against Information Operation campaigns. Students will analyze case studies on Nation State actors’ online influence efforts in order to detect, deconstruct, and counter adversarial Information Operation campaigns.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

• Understand and describe how tapping into the emotional component of an idea can spark a revolt.
• Outline the different types of means and methods used in digital influence & manipulation operations.
• Examine and evaluate and explain the differing tactics, techniques and foci of Social Engineering & Psychological Operations and how each is employed to support Information Warfare.
• Examine and propose how influence operations focus on manipulating the psychology of targets through strategic communication.
• Examine and propose how denial of service & counter messaging strategies can be employed to mitigate an adversarial IO campaign.
• Examine and propose how Information Operations can be integrated with kinetic and electronic warfare operations to support hybrid and unrestricted warfare.

Course Objectives

During this course students will:

• Analyze different case studies on past adversarial IO campaigns to determine how informational power is created and leveraged.
• Research and analyze the Internet Research Agency’s (IRA) tactics, techniques and procedures to determine observable activities that can indicate the Russian government is undertaking an offensive IO campaign.