In a scenario reminiscent of a crime thriller, a forensics team descends upon the server room of a major casino group, not to investigate a murder, but to unravel a cybercrime mystery. This high-tech drama is part of Northwestern Engineering’s Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program’s latest offering—Cyber Forensics for Data Breaches.
Led by Jibran Ilyas, Managing Director at Mandiant (now part of Google Cloud) and an MSIT alumnus, the course aims to equip students with the skills needed to combat cybercriminals in an era where digital threats continually evolve. Ilyas describes digital forensics as akin to traditional forensics but without the blood, emphasizing its importance in dissecting digital devices for evidence.
The urgency of such training is underscored by recent cyberattacks on major corporations like Caesars, which paid a staggering $15 million ransom to the cybercrime group UNC3944 (Scattered Spider). Ilyas stresses that understanding the geopolitical and criminal landscape is crucial, as cyber threats now involve both criminal groups and state-sponsored actors.
The course focuses on cultivating insights into network vulnerabilities and staying abreast of the latest tactics employed by cybercriminals. Drawing from Ilyas’s real-world experiences combating cyber threats at Google, students gain practical knowledge through technical demonstrations and case studies that highlight failures and pitfalls.
The staggering reality of cyber threats is emphasized with the average U.S. data breach cost reaching $9.48 million in 2022, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023. Ilyas points out that cyberattacks can have far-reaching consequences, such as the government of Costa Rica declaring a state of emergency due to ransomware attacks, impacting critical systems and disrupting essential services.
Ilyas emphasizes that businesses must be prepared for cyber attacks, acknowledging that it’s not a matter of if but when they will occur. He advocates for proactive response preparation and planning involving all stakeholders to mitigate potential damage.
Northwestern’s MSIT program’s foresight in addressing the pressing issue of cybersecurity is applauded by Ilyas, who sees the course as a testament to the program’s commitment to innovation and student welfare. As cybercrime costs the global economy an estimated $7 trillion in 2022, projected to rise to $10.5 trillion by 2025, the need for such courses becomes increasingly apparent. Ilyas expresses hope that students find the Cyber Forensics for Data Breaches course to be an invaluable asset in their educational journey.
