CPRE532 · Information Warfare

Information
Warfare.

Analysed offensive and defensive cyber operations — threat intelligence, nation-state tactics, adversarial thinking, reconnaissance techniques, and strategic approaches to protecting critical infrastructure.

overview

What I
learned.

CPRE532 examines the landscape of information warfare from both offensive and defensive perspectives. The course covers adversarial thinking, the tactics and motivations of cyber-enabled adversaries (nation-states, hacktivists, criminal organisations), and the ethical frameworks that govern cyber operations.

Hands-on modules explored reconnaissance techniques, authentication attack surfaces, and web application security. Labs provided practical experience with the tools and methodologies used in real-world offensive security assessments, while homework assignments deepened understanding of strategic and tactical cyber operations.

highlights

Key
modules.

Adversarial Thinking
Studied attacker motivations, kill-chain models, and threat actor profiles to anticipate and counter offensive cyber operations.
Cyber-Enabled Adversary
Analysed nation-state cyber capabilities, APT group tactics, and the role of cyber operations in modern geopolitical conflict.
Reconnaissance
Practised passive and active reconnaissance techniques — OSINT gathering, DNS enumeration, port scanning, and service fingerprinting.
Authentication & Web Security
Explored authentication attack surfaces, credential-based attacks, and common web application vulnerabilities from an offensive perspective.

technology

Tools &
methods.

A graduate-level course combining strategic cyber operations theory with practical offensive security labs and ethical analysis.
Threat Intelligence OSINT Reconnaissance Web Security Authentication Kill Chain Nmap Ethics
View on GitHub →