Crime and Computer Applications
Course Description
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to ways in which cybercrime is both committed and investigated through computers. The class will allow students to hear cybercriminals and cyber investigators discuss their career trajectories in their own words, think about the legal and ethical ramifications of warrants for digital evidence, and explore several computer applications used by both cybercriminals and cybercrime investigators. To get the most out of this class, students should be familiar with the criminal justice system, internet architecture, and types of cybercrime.
Course Material
Digital Search Warrants
A search warrant is a legal document issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes law enforcement officials to search a specific location or premises for evidence related to a suspected crime. It outlines the scope of the search, the items or information being sought, and the legal basis for conducting the search. In this activity, I was tasked to read several search warrants written for digital evidence and select on to fill out this worksheet with. These are copies of real search warrants written by law enforcement officers.
macmillanp_Understanding-a-Search-Warrant-for-Digital-Evidence-AssignmentOPSEC
OPSEC, or Operational Security, is a systematic approach used to identify, protect, and manage sensitive information and activities that could be exploited by adversaries. It involves measures such as risk assessment, information control, and countermeasures to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure of critical information that could compromise operational or organizational security. I was able to perform OPSEC procedures on a web browser on your personal computer.
Operations-Security-OPSEC-compressedThe Darknet
For this assignment, I was tasked with accessing and exploring different darknet websites using Tor (The Onion Router). The TOR network is a privacy-focused system that enables users to browse the internet anonymously by routing their internet traffic through a series of volunteer-operated servers, encrypting it in layers like an onion.
Exploring-Darknet-MarketplacesOSINT
OSINT, or Open Source Intelligence, refers to the practice of collecting and analyzing information from publicly available sources to gather insights and intelligence. This information can include data from websites, social media, news articles, and other openly accessible resources, which is used for various purposes such as research, security, and decision-making. I made use of OSINT to learn about a target of my choosing.
OSINT-AssignmentTool Review
I was given a list of tools and wrote an article for a lay audience describing the pros and cons of that tool. Note: you may need to download a tool or install it into your web browser to use it. For this, I chose QuickHash, a tool that allowed for hashing function to be applied to files. This tool also allows users to compare the hashes of different files.
Tool-Review-Assignment