O'Reilly Archive: Anatomy of an Attack

Level: Intermediate. Theme: Ransomware, social engineering, supply chain, AI, and quantum threats.

A series of hour long sessions on the most common cyberattacks (ransomware, supply chain, and social engineering) and the future role of artificial intelligence and quantum computing in cybersecurity.

What you’ll learn

• 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
• Prepare for and defend against ransomware attacks
• Recognize and counter common social engineering attacks
• Improve defenses against supply chain attacks
• Improve cybersecurity posture by employing AI and quantum computing in cyberattack defense

This course is for you if

• You’re a cybersecurity leader who wants to drill down on specific threats to your operations
• You’re an IT professional who wants to know more about cyberattacks and how to defend against them

Schedule

Day 1: Ransomware

Ransomware attack history, players, and kill chain (60 minutes). History and evolution of ransomware. How ransomware attacks work. Understanding the ransomware kill chain. Key ransomware players and common monetization techniques. Preparing for and preventing ransomware attacks. What to do after the attack. The role of cyber insurance. Security practices and frameworks to defend against ransomware. Resources and next steps. Q&A.

Day 2: Social Engineering

Social engineering attack techniques, examples, and prevention (60 minutes). History and evolution of social engineering attacks. The concept of social engineering. Types of attack vectors (pretexting, phishing, spear phishing, baiting, scareware, etc). Real world examples. Preventing and mitigating attacks. Reports and statistics on the importance of social engineering in cyber warfare. Resources and next steps. Q&A.

Day 3: Supply Chain

Supply chain attack techniques, examples, and prevention (60 minutes). History and evolution of supply chain attacks. Understanding supply chain attacks and their phases. Real world examples. Review of security guidance and frameworks published by NIST, DOD, and the UK National Cyber Security Centre. Resources and next steps. Q&A.

Day 4: Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing

AI and quantum computing cyberthreats (60 minutes). Origins and evolution of AI and quantum computing. Cybersecurity threats posed by AI. Role of AI in countering cyberattacks. Impact of quantum computing on cybersecurity. The move toward “quantum resistant” or “post quantum” cryptography. NIST and other standards bodies’ work on post quantum standardization. AI and quantum computing in the cloud. How to plan and prepare for these technologies. Resources and next steps. Q&A.