Course Outline. ZHSS8441: Cyber Security and World Politics S Course Staff. Student Learning Outcomes. Introduction/Context

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1 Course Outline ZHSS8441: Cyber Security and World Politics S School of Humanities & Social Sciences Course Staff Professor Toni Erskine Room ph: is always the best way to contact me with any questions or concerns relating to the course. I check e- mail regularly during the teaching session and will respond to you as quickly as possible. I am also available for face-to-face meetings, phone consultations or Skype discussions during normal working hours. If you would like to speak to me, please me first to arrange an appointment. Introduction/Context Cyber security is increasingly dominating debates about Internet technology. Despite the fact that the Internet is a quarter of a century old, thinking about how it can impact on, and is shaped by. world politics is relatively undeveloped. There can be little doubt that the challenges and opportunities of integrating cyber technology into practices and conceptions of global order, security, peace, war, equity, justice and cooperation will be the work of generations. This course introduces post-graduate students to some of the key debates currently taking place and invites them to develop a critical approach to the assumptions that underpin them. This course will provide postgraduate students with a detailed and comprehensive understanding of some of the most significant incidents and actors in cyber security, coupled with an understanding of some of the challenges of addressing this particular problem. This combined focus on functional and conceptual factors helps students to develop a perspective suitable to creative and powerful analysis rather than reactive, bounded thinking. This will equip students with the background to move beyond the parameters of existing thinking on cyber security in practice, in policy and in terms of what it means to be secure in the Information Age. This course will complement the range of courses currently being taught at the postgraduate level as part of both the International and Political Studies programme offered through HASS and the new Cyber Security programme offered through SEIT. Student Learning Outcomes At the end of this course students should be able to: LO1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the threats and opportunities that cyber insecurity offers to actors in world politics. [Insert course name] COURSE CODE: [insert course code] LO2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Semester 1, 2012 [insert #] UOC range and nature of significant actors and major incidents in cyber security. School of [insert school name] LO3. Apply a theoretical understanding of security generally and cyber security more specifically to case studies of cyber vulnerabilities and responses. LO4. Critically evaluate some of the major policy and regulatory responses that have emerged to address cyber security vulnerabilities. LO5. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the challenges of making a distinction between cyber war, cyber espionage and cyber crime. Students will also develop the following generic graduate attributes in the course of undertaking the course activities and mastering the knowledge content: GA1. The necessary skills to gather, organise and employ evidence from a variety of primary and secondary sources in order to build a coherent and compelling argument. GA2. A sophisticated understanding of the relevant disciplinary material. GA3. The capacity for analytical and critical thinking and for creative problem-solving. GA4. The ability to engage in independent and reflective learning. GA5. Skills for effective communication. Resources for Students There is no core text book for this module. Cyber Security particularly in the context of world politics is a new area of study and we are looking at some diverse issues in this module. Instead of relying on a single

2 book, the reading material is gathered from the most significant and up to date peer-reviewed journals, as well as from some book chapters. You will also read reports, policy documents and, in some cases, we ve included online material like lectures and talks as supplementary material. Course Schedule Background and Concepts Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Introduction and Overview Hard case studies: Stuxnet and Estonia Conceptions of Cyber Security Threats, Opportunities and Targets: Global Uncertainty Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Technological Issues 1: Attribution Technological Issues 2: Attack Vectors Cyber-crime Cyber-espionage Cyber War China Online Policy and Legal Responses Week 10 Strategy and Policy: US/Australian relations Course Evaluation and Development This will be the second time that this course is run. It will be based on my experience of teaching postgraduate courses in International Relations (IR) at Cambridge University, Aberystwyth University, and, most recently, UNSW Canberra over the past 16 years. I warmly welcome your feedback on the course, both formally in the form of CATEI, and informally throughout the semester. Teaching Strategies The course comprises three main sections; Background and Concepts (weeks 1 3), Threats, Opportunities and Targets (weeks 4 9) and Policy and Legal Responses (weeks 10 12). We have one concluding week in which you will have an opportunity to look more broadly at the material we cover in the first 12 week and reflect on what you have learned, ask any questions you still have and discuss how your ideas might have been reinforced or changed over the semester. Readings for each week will be on Moodle, as will a range of supplementary reading that you may dip into if you have time or if you feel that you need more background on any of the topics. The supplementary material can also serve as a starting point for researching your essays. By doing the weekly reading and engaging in discussion through the online forum, you will learn about the key issues, read some of the important texts, and be able to work out (with your colleagues) your own views on these complex and challenging issues. The two other assessments provide an opportunity for you to go deeper in your understanding, analysis and knowledge of cyber security in world politics. The emphasis in these assignments is on the quality of your research and your argument. Remember that many of these debates remain highly contested so responses need to be well argued. your Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Reading break International Law and Cyber Security Ethics in Cyberspace? Conclusion Like most classes of this nature, the more students put into the course, the more they will get out of it. My role as course convenor is to push and challenge you. By this I mean to expose you to some key global issues, help you to critically engage with a range of perspectives and arguments made in relation to them, and, however you interpret or explain (or, indeed, reject) these positions, insist that you have well-informed reasons for holding your position. Moodle: (zpass required). 2

3 For enrolment and login issues contact: IT Service Centre Internal: x51333 External: (02) International: For ALL other Moodle issues: External TELT Support externalteltsupport@unsw.edu.au Internal: x53331 External: (02) International: UNSW Moodle supports these web browsers: Recommend Win 7, Mac OSX 10.7+:» Internet Explorer 9.0+» Mozilla Firefox 15+» Google Chrome 22+» Safari 6+ ** Google Chrome is recommended for optimal compatibility ** Addons and Toolbars can affect the browsers performance. Assessment Requirements will be asked to package together his or her five best forum contributions (from five separate weeks), reflect on them and give them a little context. Each students will be assessed on the level of engagement with and understanding of the topics; the engagement with and responses to questions raised (and his or her own raising of questions); and reflections on his or her own learning and intellectual development. Obviously, the preparation for this assignment involves students doing the required reading for each week, forming questions, and regularly making quality contributions in the weekly forums. Please remember quality matters. Brief question raising and direct on-the-point posts are usually preferable to longer more verbose posts (maximum post length is 200 words). All written work should be submitted via Moodle. Assessment Criteria: Compulsory components or minimum performance standards You must submit all pieces of assessment in order to pass the course. Full details for each piece of assessment can be found later in the course manual, and on Moodle. Outcomes-Assessment Matrix Assessment item LO 1 LO 2 LO 3 LO 4 LO 5 Assessment Due Date Weighting Short Essay (1500 words) Major Essay ( words) 1 Sept. 30% 20 Oct. 50% Journal 3 Nov. 20% The question for the Short Essay will be made available on Moodle at the start of the course, and will involve knowledge and understanding of the first three weeks of teaching. The Major Essay involves two parts: the essay itself, and an online presentation. Students will choose a topic from weeks 4-12, and, after completing the required reading, will post a position in response on the forum at the beginning of the relevant week this should be no more than 600 words and must engage with the literature. Students are then expected to respond to other presentations and to be involved in the general discussion that follows. The research essay should be an expansion and revaluation of their original presentation. Journal: All students are expected to both contribute to the success of the course and to engage and learn from all of its aspects. At the end of the course each student Short Essay X X X Major Essay + Presentation X X X X X Journal X X X X X Late Submission of Assessment A late penalty of 5 per cent per day will apply to any assessable work delivered after the due date. The reinstatement of lost marks will be considered (but not guaranteed) after the period of assessment, and will be granted (on, for example, medical or compassionate grounds) only if the appropriate supporting documentation is provided. Please contact the course convenor if you have any questions about this policy. Academic Honesty and Plagiarism Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of others and presenting them as your own. Plagiarism is a type of intellectual theft. It can take many forms, from deliberate cheating to accidentally copying from a source without acknowledgement. For more information, please refer to the UNSW Canberra Academic Misconduct website ( nt/studentconductpolicy.html)..

4 Getting Started Guide g_started.pdf f The Getting Started Guide has lots of useful information regarding: Where to get help Administrative matters Getting your passwords set up How to log on to Moodle Accessing the Library and other areas. Cricos Provider Code: 00100G The University of New South Wales Canberra 4

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