Hack Lab: Introduction to Cybersecurity (INTLPOL 268)

Stanford University

  • Riana Pfefferkorn (Stanford Internet Observatory)

Syllabus (Stanford Canvas)

Weekly Reading Assignments

Week 1 (Sept. 28): Section 1 (Preview: Introduction to the Law)

Week 2 (Oct. 5): Section 2.1 (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act)

Week 3 (Oct. 12): Sections 2.2 & 2.3 (Van Buren's Ramifications for Security Research & Digital Millennium Copyright Act)

Week 4 (Oct. 19): Section 2.4.1 (Wiretap Act and Wi-Fi "Sniffing")

Week 5 (Oct. 26): Section 2.4.2 (Wiretap Act, SCA, and GET Requests)

Week 6 (Nov. 2): Section 3 (Part II: When Entities Get Hacked)

Week 7 (Nov. 9): Section 4.1 (Encryption & Technical Assistance)

Week 8 (Nov. 16): Section 4.2 (Government Hacking)

Week 9 (Nov. 30): Section 5 (Part IV: When Countries Hack Each Other)

Week 10 (Dec. 7): Review (and possible surprise special guest speaker!) - no new reading assigned

Note: These readings are subject to change during the quarter; if you get ahead in the reading, check back the week before lecture for any updates. 

5 Part IV: When Countries Hack Each Other 5 Part IV: When Countries Hack Each Other

Week 9

Week 9 (Nov. 30, 2022): International Cyber Conflict

This week we’ll discuss what happens when countries hack each other, covering the basics of Computer Network Operations and the domestic authorities and international frameworks governing cyber conflict, and applying them to real-world examples such as Stuxnet, SolarWinds, and Russia's cyberattacks against Ukraine and other countries.

5.1 International Cyber Conflict 5.1 International Cyber Conflict

Week 9

5.1.1. Examining 2 recent cyberattacks against NATO members - NPR (Sept. 13, 2022)

OPTIONAL: If you want to read more about the Albania cyberattacks, here's another pertinent news article that discusses the NATO collective self-defense aspect.

Examining 2 recent cyberattacks against NATO members - NPR (Sept. 13, 2022)

5.1.2. Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from the Cyber War - Microsoft (June 22, 2022)

Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from the Cyber War - Microsoft (June 22, 2022)

5.1.3. FACT SHEET: Imposing Costs for Harmful Foreign Activities by the Russian Government - The White House (Apr. 15, 2021)

This is a summary of Executive Order 14024. OPTIONAL: Read the full EO.

FACT SHEET: Imposing Costs for Harmful Foreign Activities by the Russian Government - The White House (Apr. 15, 2021)

5.1.4. The danger in calling the SolarWinds breach an ‘act of war’ - Tarah Wheeler (Mar. 4, 2021)

The danger in calling the SolarWinds breach an ‘act of war’ - Tarah Wheeler (Mar. 4, 2021)

5.1.5. US Indicts Sandworm, Russia's Most Destructive Cyberwar Unit - Wired (Oct. 19, 2020)

 [PDF version]

US Indicts Sandworm, Russia's Most Destructive Cyberwar Unit - Wired (Oct. 19, 2020)

5.1.6. Stuxnet, Schmitt Analysis, and the Cyber “Use-of-Force” Debate - Andrew C. Foltz, 67(4) Joint Force Quarterly 40–48 (2012)

Stuxnet, Schmitt Analysis, and the Cyber “Use-of-Force” Debate - Andrew C. Foltz, 67(4) Joint Force Quarterly 40–48 (2012)