Purpose
The primary objective of this course is to provide the student with a basis for understanding the scope of information warfare, which includes how it can be employed as an offensive weapon, as well as its implications for the defense of information systems. The course is designed to develop this understanding through two primary means. First, a portion of the course will be devoted to enhancing the student's understanding of offensive and defensive information operations at the conceptual level, as well as familiarizing students with strategic, political, legal, and ethical issues. The key skill here will be critical thinking. Second, this course is designed to give the student confidence in applying this knowledge through the use of security tools, hands-on demonstrations, and exercises. The key skill to be developed here is technical competence. By the end of the course, the student will understand how critical both these areas are to the conduct of information warfare. Finally, the course also examines current information on potential cyberterrorism targets and methods, and explores how terrorists use information and technology as a tool for achieving their objectives.

Scope
The following areas of information warfare will be covered in this course:

Courses, Fall Semester 2007
20-Aug Introduction
22-Aug Foundations and Concepts
24-Aug Introduction to PSYOPS and Perception Management
28-Aug States and Strategic Influence
30-Aug U.S. Government Strategic Communications Policy and Challenges
4-Sep Strategic Communications Roles and Responsibilities
6-Sep Strategic Communications Roles and Responsibilities
10-Sep Radicalization, Mobilization and NetWar Theory
12-Sep Islamic Extremists and the Internet/Project Introduction
14-Sep WPR1
18-Sep DOD/Army Doctrine, Policies, Ethics
20-Sep IO Doctrine
24-Sep Video Editing
26-Sep Networking TCP/IP
28-Sep Routing and Switching
2-Oct Services
4-Oct Build Web Server
8-Oct Chapter 7 Seizing the Signals
10-Oct Chapter 8 Computer Break-ins
12-Oct Chapter 9 Masquerade
17-Oct Chapter 10 Cyber Plagues
19-Oct Offensive Lab
21-Oct Project IPR
25-Oct Chapter 11 Cryptography
27-Oct Chapter 11 Cryptography & Steganography
31-Oct Steganography Guest Speaker
2-Nov Chapter 13 monitoring & Gatekeeping
6-Nov WPR2
8-Nov Iraqi Insurgent Groups and the Internet
13-Nov Information Warfare from the Chinese Prospective
15-Nov Legal and Ethical Issues of Information Warfare
19-Nov Information Warfare and the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism
21-Nov Cyber security Video
27-Nov Project IPR
29-Nov The Changing Impact of Traditional Media
3-Dec Crafting Messages to Defeat Islamism Terrorist Groups
5-Dec Guest Speaker
7-Dec Project Presentation
11-Dec Project Presentation
13-Dec Course Summary

Courses Texts
- Lord, Carnes, Losing Hearts and Minds: Public Diplomacy and Strategic Influence in the Age of Terror
- Denning, Dorothy, Information Warfare and Security
- Waller, Michael, Fighting the War of Ideas like a Real War
- Reynolds, Glenn, An Army of Davids: How Markets and Technology Empower Orginary People

 

Other Information
This course is co-taught by faculty in the Combating Terrorism Center and in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. For more information, please contact Dr. James Forest at james.forest@usma.edu.