Transcript Lecture #33 - The University of Texas at Dallas

Digital Forensics
Dr. Bhavani Thuraisingham
The University of Texas at Dallas
Lecture #33
Information Warfare
November 19, 2007
Outline
 What is Information Warfare?
 Defensive Strategies for Government and Industry
 Military Tactics
 Terrorism and Information Warfare
 Tactics of Private Corporations
 Future IW strategies
 Surveillance Tools
 The Victims of Information Warfare
 Appendix: Surveillance
 Reference Part IV of Text Book
What is Information Warfare?
 Information warfare is the use and management of
information in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an
opponent. Information warfare may involve collection of
tactical information, assurance that one's own information is
valid, spreading of propaganda or disinformation to
demoralize the enemy and the public, undermining the quality
of opposing force information and denial of information
collection opportunities to opposing forces.
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_warfare
Defensive Strategies for Government and
Industry
 Are US and Foreign governments prepared for Information
Warfare
- According to John Vacca, US will be most affected with
60% of the world’s computing power
Stealing sensitive information as well as critical,
information to cripple an economy (e.g., financial
information)
 What have industry groups done
IT-SAC: Information Technology Information Sharing and
Analysis
 Will strategic diplomacy help with Information Warfare?
 Educating the end user is critical according to John Vacca
-
Defensive Strategies for Government and
Industry
 What are International organizations?
- Think Tanks and Research agencies
- Book cites several countries from Belarus to Taiwan
engaged in Economic Espionage and Information Warfare
 Risk-based analysis
 Military alliances
- Coalition forces – US, UK, Canada, Australia have regular
meetings on Information Warfare
 Legal implications
 Strong parallels between National Security and Cyber
Security
Military Tactics
 Supporting Technologies
- Agents, XML, Human Computer Interaction
 Military tactics
- Planning, Security, Intelligence
 Tools
- Offensive Ruinous IW tools
 Launching
-
massive distributed denial of service
attacks
Offensive Containment IW tools
 Operations security, Military deception, Psychological
operations, Electronic warfare (use electromagnetic
energy), Targeting: Disable enemy's C2 (c0mmand and
control) system and capability
Military Tactics
 Tools (continued)
- Defensive Preventive IW Tools
 Monitor
networks
Defensive Ruinous IW tools
 Information operations
- Defensive Responsive Containment IW tools
 Handle hacking, viruses.
 Other aspects
- Dealing with sustained terrorist IW tactics, Dealing with
random terrorist IW tactics
-
Terrorism and Information Warfare
 Terrorists are using the web to carry out terrorism activities
 What are the profiles of terrorists? Are they computer
literate?
 Hacker controlled tanks, planes and warships
 Is there a Cyber underground network?
 What are their tools?
- Information weapons, HERF gun (high power radio energy
at an electronic target), Electromagnetic pulse. Electric
power disruptive technologies
 Why are they hard to track down?
- Need super forensics tools
Tactics of Private Corporations
 Defensive tactics
- Open course intelligence, Gather business intelligence
 Offensive tactics
- Packet sniffing, Trojan horse etc.
 Prevention tactics
- Security techniques such as encryption
 Survival tactics
- Forensics tools
Future IW Tactics
 Electromagnetic bomb
- Technology, targeting and delivery
 Improved conventional method
- Virus, worms, trap doors, Trojan horse
 Global positioning systems
 Nanotechnology developments
- Nano bombs
Surveillance Tools
 Data emanating from sensors:
- Video data, surveillance data
- Data has to be analyzed
- Monitoring suspicious events
 Data mining
- Determining events/activities that are abnormal
 Biometrics technologies
 Privacy is a concern
Victims of Information Warfare
 Loss of money and funds
 Loss of shelter, food and water
 Spread of disease
 Identity theft
 Privacy violations
 Death and destruction
 Note: Computers can be hacked to loose money and identity;
computers can be used to commit a crime resulting in death
and destruction