MARKETING, PROPAGANDA AND INFORMATION WARFARE

The course examines the theories and nature of marketing, propaganda, psychological operations, perception management, and several forms of (information) warfare under social, informational, and organizational aspects. The class will investigate the roots and development of such methods and operations in network concentric environments. Students will analyze different command, control, communication, computer, and information infrastructures and discuss advantages and disadvantages in order to uncover exploits and evolve the method or product.

Special attention will be devoted to social and cultural implications of marketing, propaganda and information operations and warfare as well as to challenges and responses imposed. Based on an investigation of the history and evolution of marketing, agitation, propaganda and (information) warfare, participants of the course will gain an understanding of risk and threat analysis to information systems, apply countermeasures, and develop adequate response systems. In order to equip students with the know how needed to respond to upcoming threats appropriately, special consideration will be given to a methodical and strategic understanding of footprinting, automated scanning and enumerating, exploitation of vulnerabilities in services, applications, systems, and networks as well as incident reporting, assessment, intrusion detection, response and honey pots.

Analyzing threats as defacing, hacking, cracking, intrusion, denial of service attacks, viruses, Trojan horses, key logger, shock measures, eavesdropping, surveillance, espionage, cyberwar and netwar, the class will explore active and passive responses as security management, authentication, encryption, auditing and monitoring. Students will apply theory on several examples and campaigns, work in teams on small projects, and participate in a mixture of lectures, readings, discussions, and experiments. The class will give a brief introduction into several theoretical, technological, social, legal, and ethical issues.

• CLASS INFORMATION
  
• CLASS SCHEDULE
  • Week 1 - Introduction
  • Week 2 - Online Marketing
    The Beginning. Green Card Lottery and Journoporn
  • Week 3 - Media, Ownership, Monopolies and Conglomerates
  • Week 4 - Marketing and Propaganda
  • Week 5 - Propaganda in World War II
    Cross Compatibility, Usability Engineering, GUI
  • Week 6 - Propaganda and Censorship
    in Salvador, Gulf War, Israel, Palestine, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq
  • Week 7 - Hacktivism and Electronic Civil Disobedience
  • Week 8 - Crypto Anarchism, Cyber Havens
    Freenet and the Matrix
  • Week 9 - Information Operations I
    Guerilla Warfare
  • Week 10 - Information Operations II
  • Week 11 - Information Operations III
    Hacktivism
  • Week 12 - Information Operations IV
    Hacktivism, Netwar and Cyberwar
  • Week 13 - Information Operations V
    Intrusion (Detection), Assessment, and Response
  • Week 14 - Information Operations VI
    Policies, Intrusion (Detection), Assessment. and Response (Continued)

• MATERIAL
  
• REQUIREMENTS

Reading
Dominguez, Ricardo. “Electronic Zapatismo.” (1998)
Wray, Stefan. Electronic Civil Disobedience and the World Wide Web of Hacktivism: (1998)
Bey, Hakim aka Wilson, Peter Lamborn. The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism. (1991)

Further information can be found about Hacktivism and Electronic Civil Disobedience can be found at the Electronic Disturbance Theatre, the Critical Art Ensemble, and at the Autonomedia Bookstore. The Critical Art Ensemble presents several downloadable books about the topic.

Resource
Critical Art Ensemble
Autonomedia Bookstore

Reading
May, Timothy C. The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto. (1992)

Book
Chomsky, Noam. Pirates and Emperors: International Terrorism in the Real World.

Movie
Wachowski, Larry and Andy Wachowski. The Matrix. (1999)

Reading
Tse-Tung. Mao. Problems Of Strategy In Guerrilla War Against Japan. (1938)
Tse-Tung. Mao. On Protracted War. (1938)
Tse-Tung. Mao. Policies, Measures And Perspectives For Resisting The Japanese Invasion. (1937)
Tse-Tung. Mao. Recruit Large Numbers Of Intellectuals. (1939)
Tse-Tung. Mao. Win The Masses In Their Millions For The Anti-Japanese National United Front. (1937)
Guevara, Ernesto Che. Guerilla Warfare. (1961)
Meinhof, Ulrike. Das Konzept Stadtguerilla. Rote Armee Fraktion. (1971)
Meinhof, Ulrike. “Warnhausbrandstiftung.” Konkret. (1968)

Fifth Assignment Due for Review.