Cyber Case Study

Assignment Overview

For this case study assignment, you will identify and research a cybersecurity topic or event relevant to SY110 course material, then create a slidedeck and provide a presentation on your findings.

Your case study must focus on an event or topic that occurred at least partially within the past 12 months. This includes cyber incidents discovered or reported on within the last year, even if the actual event happened earlier, as long as there are significant updates or new information. However, it does not include older events where only a summary has been published within the last year, with no meaningful developments or updates within the past year. You must carefully evaluate your research materials to determine whether they represent new findings or simply recap older events.

Your presentation should cover the basic details of the event or topic - the who, what, where, when, why, and how - and explain how it relates to the concepts and topics from SY110. It should also address some key issues for discussion; examples include (but are not limited to) any geopolitical or military implications, potential mitigation strategies for the vulnerabilities involved, and the relevance of your findings to organizational decision-makers.

Your presentation audience is your fellow SY110 students. Your presentation should be informative and accessible, breaking down acronyms and technical concepts as needed to ensure understanding. However, the goal is not to teach completely new material but to highlight and explain the relevance of SY110 content in real-world cybersecurity events.

Deliverables

This assignment includes three required deliverables, and one optional, extra credit deliverable:

1. Case Study Title & Problem Statement (5 points)
2. Presentation Slides (45 points)
3. In-Class Presentation (50 points)
4. Extra Credit: Written Abstract (10 points)

Aside from the in-class presentation, all deliverables must be submitted in Blackboard. Additional guidance for each deliverable is given below.

Case Study Title & Problem Statement

This will consist of 1-3 sentences explaining your topic. Spelling, grammar, clarity, and depth of thought count!

Presentation Slides

There is no fixed number or format for your slides; they are meant to assist you in conveying relevant information about the incident or concept. (One caveat: there should be at least one slide citing the sources you used, and the citation should be in IEEE format; see below.) You must submit a downloadable slide deck in Blackboard - if you use online tools such as Google Slides or Canva, do not simply submit a link for sharing the presentation. The grading rubric in the Resources section below provides additional grading guidance on your slides.

In-Class Presentation

You will present your findings, using your associated slide deck, in class for your classmates. Your presentation should be 4-6 minutes long. The grading rubric in the Resources section below provides additional grading guidance on your presentation.

Extra Credit: Written Abstract

Your abstract should provide a brief (~250 words), clear, and impactful summary of your research, conclusions, and potential implications. It should be self-contained and not include footnotes, references, or diagrams, but should contain keywords or phrases relevant to your work to aid discovery. Spelling, grammar, clarity, and depth of thought count!

Academic Integrity: Citations, GenAI Usage, and Collaboration Policy

You must use IEEE citation guidelines for all sources in this assignment. Guidance for IEEE formatting and citation help are linked in the Resources section below. Citation tools such as EasyBib, MyBib, or Citation Machine are permitted for formatting assistance.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Microsoft Co-Pilot may be used while researching to help you better understand technical aspects of your topic. However, you may not use GenAI to generate or assist in generating any part of your submission content, including (but not limited to): slide text, graphics, presentation notes or scripts, or written abstracts.

This is an individual assignment; refer to the course policy for details on acceptable collaboration. If you have any questions about academic integrity or need clarification, please ask your instructor.

Research Tools

The Cyber Science department has specific resources tailored for your research at the Nimitz Library. Visit online at https://libguides.usna.edu/cyber or in person with Sarah Lopez. Additionally, the following external sites focus on cybersecurity news and events, and may be helpful in your research:

	Akamai Threat Research https://www.akamai.com/our-thinking/threat-research Akamai threat researchers regularly publish in academic journals and present at conferences and industry association events, sharing mitigation strategies and data focused on the constantly evolving security landscape.
	BleepingComputer.com https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ Bleeping Computer is a website covering technology news and offering free computer help via its forums. It publishes news focusing heavily on cybersecurity, but also covers other topics including computer software, computer hardware, operating system and general technology.
	CISA Alerts https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/alerts As part of its mission, CISA leads the effort to enhance the security, resiliency, and reliability of the Nation's cybersecurity and communications infrastructure.
	Crowdstrike https://www.crowdstrike.com/resources/reports/ Find all Crowdstrike cybersecurity reports here. The industry's most comprehensive reports from Crowdstrike's intelligence, threat hunting, and services team.
	Dark Reading https://www.darkreading.com/ Cyber security's comprehensive news site is now online for security professionals, outlining cyber threats and the technologies for defending against them.
	The Daily Swig https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/research Read the latest cybersecurity research news from the Daily Swig.
	Federal News Network Cybersecurity https://federalnewsnetwork.com/category/technology-main/cybersecurity/ How can federal agencies protect their sensitive information and databases from cyber attacks and insider threats? Check out our latest cybersecurity news at Federal News Network.
	The Hacker News https://thehackernews.com/ The Hacker News is the most trusted, widely-read infosec source of the latest hacking news, cyber attacks, computer security, and cybersecurity for ethical hackers, penetration testers, and information technology professionals.
	Infosecurity Magazine https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news Keep up to date with the latest Information Security and IT Security News & Articles.
	KrebsonSecurity https://krebsonsecurity.com/ KrebsonSecurity investigatives stories on cybercrime and computer security. KrebsonSecurity covers in-depth security news and investigation.
	Mandiant https://www.mandiant.com/resources?f[0]=layout:article_report Insights delivered straight from the frontlines of cyber security. Get access to the latest threat reports, analyst reports, white papers, e-books, and more!
	Microsoft Security Intelligence https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/microsoft-security-intelligence/ Read the latest news and posts and get helpful insights about Microsoft security intelligence from Microsoft's team of experts at Microsoft Security Blog.
	Naked Security by Sophos https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/ Naked Security is Sophos’s award-winning threat news room, giving you news, opinion, advice and research on computer security issues and the latest internet threats.
	NSA https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/News-Highlights/ The Public Affairs Office responds to media queries and requests related to NSA/CSS equities in addition to facilitating media events, interviews, and more.
	Palo Alto Unit 42 https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ Unit 42 brings together world-renowned threat researchers with an elite team of security consultants to create an intelligence-driven, response-ready organization. As threats escalate, Unit 42 is available to advise federal agencies on the latest risks, assess their readiness and help them recover when the worst occurs.
	Rand Corporation https://www.rand.org/topics/cybersecurity.html Technology allows individuals and organizations to access more comprehensive and vierse information, but this access requires that electronic information, networks, data, repositories, and data transmissions be adequately safeguarded. RAND has developed a large body of research focused on recognizing the potential threats to information security and data integrity, as well as implications for personal and institutional privacy.
	TechRadar https://www.techradar.com/pro/security Security, ransomware, endpoint protection and antivirus news.
	Threatpost https://threatpost.com/ Threatpost, is an independent news site which is a leading source of information about IT and business security for hundreds of thousands of professionals worldwide.
	Trustedsec https://www.trustedsec.com/news/ Information security and risk assessment are always in the news - and so is Trustedsec. See what we're up to and where we've been featured.
	WIRED Cybersecurity https://www.wired.com/tag/cybersecurity/ Find the latest Cybersecurity news from WIRED. See related science and technology articles, photos, slideshows and videos.

Resources

1. Case Study Grading Rubric
2. IEEE Referencing: Getting started with IEEE referencing
3. Nimitz Library Cyber Science webpage
4. Nimitz Library Plagiarism Basics webpage
5. Here are examples of presentations from previous semesters that received high marks:
   
   • Acer Data Breach picture_as_pdf
   • Hacker Mentality and Psychology in Recent Cyber Attacks picture_as_pdf
   • Tik Tok is Collecting Users' Biometric Data picture_as_pdf
   • Implications of the Log4j Vulnerability picture_as_pdf
   • Digital DNA picture_as_pdf
   • Zimbra Zero-Day Flaw picture_as_pdf
   • Social Engineering Meets Uber picture_as_pdf