Anatomy of an Attack

In this course you’ll:

• Examine ransomware attacks and the operations of prominent ransomware groups
• Explore supply chain attacks and commonly used attack strategies
• Look at social engineering attack techniques and tactics
• Understand potential offensive and defensive uses of AI and quantum computing

Course description

Join cybersecurity expert Razi Rais for this series of hour-long sessions in which you’ll learn about the most common cyberattacks—ransomware, supply chain, and social engineering—and discuss the future role of artificial intelligence and quantum computing in cybersecurity.

Day 1: Ransomware

In this session, you’ll hear a history of ransomware, examine the lifespan and stages of a ransomware attack, get an overview of some well-known ransomware organizations and their strategies, and discuss the mechanisms for detecting, preventing, and recovering data from ransomware attacks.

Day 2: Social Engineering

On day 2, you’ll examine social engineering, or “the art of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving an individual in order to gain control of their digital assets or computer-based systems.” You’ll delve into social engineering attack vectors (pretexting, phishing, spear phishing, baiting, scareware, etc.), explore real-world successful social engineering cyberattacks, and discuss security best practices for preventing these attacks.

Day 3: Supply Chain

In this session, you’ll hear about the rise in supply chain attacks, discuss how this kind of attack works, and examine recent real-world attacks and the common vulnerabilities that lead to them. You’ll also get an overview of supply chain security frameworks published by standard bodies and discuss resources you can use to help mitigate these attacks.

Day 4: Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing

In the final session, you’ll look at threats posed by artificial intelligence and quantum computing, discuss the major challenges inherent in defending against these sophisticated, developing technologies, and gain a better understanding of the potential of these same technologies to fight the cyberattacks they enable.

NOTE: With today’s registration, you’ll be signed up for all four sessions. Although you can attend any of the sessions individually, we recommend participating in all four weeks.