Cyberwar, Surveillance and Security

Syllabus

COURSE OVERVIEW

Once heralded as the ultimate vehicle for open communication and self-expression, the internet is rapidly becoming a globally networked surveillance device. Serious threats to national security, combined with the seemingly endless capacity of digital processing and storage, have led to levels of data capture and 24/7 monitoring of individuals’ activity that were unimaginable even a decade ago. With resistance to such practices rising, this course will equip you to take an active part in the debate. You will gain a broad understanding of the competing tensions of the laws related to national security and personal and commercial privacy in the post-Snowden online environment, and grasp the looming consequences of this battle for peace, sovereignty, human rights and the internet itself.

The course employs a variety of engaging learning methods, including videos, animations, knowledge checks and interactive discussion activities to guide you through key concepts and assist you in developing your own thoughts and opinions.

Prerequisites:

None

Time Commitment:

2 to 3 hours per week

Course Dates:

This is a self-paced course so you can learn when it suits you!

Assessment:

To qualify for a certificate, all discussion activities and knowledge tests must be completed. edX will issue certificates to participants that complete the course with a grade of 50% or higher. When your certificate is available, it will appear in your edX dashboard.

Grading Scheme:

Pass (50% or higher) Fail (under 50%)

WEEK 1: How the Internet Works

PROFESSOR MELISSA DE ZWART

Week 1 Learning Objectives:

• Understand how the internet functions from a technical and governance perspective. • Appreciate the open and generative nature of the internet. • Identify issues arising with respect to data capture in the context of online technology. • Recognise concepts of privacy in the online context.

Week 1 Assessment Requirements

1. Participation in the weekly discussion activity 2. Participation in the weekly wiki update 3. Completion of the Weekly knowledge check

WEEK 2: Hacking and Leaking

PROFESSOR MELISSA DE ZWART

Week 2 Learning Objectives:

• Identify the actions of whistleblowers and whistleblowing platforms. • Appreciate the legal and ethical context of hacking. • Recognise the nature of online activism.

Week 2 Assessment Requirements

1. Participation in the weekly discussion activity 2. Participation in the weekly wiki update 3. Completion of the Weekly knowledge check

WEEK 3: Surveillance and National Security

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DALE STEPHENS

Week 3 Learning Objectives:

• Understand the legal framework and history of international intelligence sharing arrangements.

• Define and distinguish between 'metadata' and 'content', and how these aspects of information are treated under laws in different countries.

• Examine the asymmetrical nature of modern intelligence and the limitations presented by traditional surveillance techniques.

• Understand the balance between national security priorities and privacy and the legal regime that applies to maintain this balance.

• Recognize the international legal framework for the conduct of electronic/cyber surveillance.

Week 3 Assessment Requirements

1. Participation in the weekly discussion activity 2. Participation in the weekly wiki update 3. Completion of the Weekly knowledge check

WEEK 4: Surveillance Privacy and Political Engagement

DR REBECCA LAFORGIA

Week 4 Learning Objectives:

• Understand the political nature of the collection of metadata and surveillance. • Describe the material context for metadata and surveillance including its extra-

territorial reach. • Characterise the international right to privacy as contained in Article 17 of the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). • Discuss the contribution article 17 makes to the conceptual approach to metadata

collection and surveillance. • Examine commentary, which considers developing the ethos of freedom of expression

and internal dissent as important for surveillance agencies.

Week 4 Assessment Requirements

1. Participation in the weekly discussion activity 2. Participation in the weekly wiki update 3. Completion of the Weekly knowledge check

WEEK 5: Cyber Security & Cyber Warfare

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DALE STEPHENS

Week 5 Learning Objectives:

• Understand the nature and context of cyber operations and cyber attacks. • Identify and apply the international legal framework that regulates the ‘Use of Force’

under the UN Charter in the cyber context. • Recognize the Role of the Tallinn Manual in the articulation of the legal framework

applying to Cyber Warfare. • Apply principles of International Humanitarian Law to cyber warfare.

Week 5 Assessment Requirements

1. Participation in the weekly discussion activity 2. Participation in the weekly wiki update 3. Completion of the Weekly knowledge check

WEEK 6: The Future of the Internet

ALL PRESENTERS

Week 6 Learning Objectives:

• Recognise and understand the competing tensions of privacy and security on the internet.

• Reflect upon a deeper analysis of the concepts of internet regulation. • Articulate an understanding of these issues based upon material presented in the

previous modules. • Contribute to debates regarding the future of internet regulation from a legal and

technical perspective.

Week 6 Assessment Requirements

1. Participation in the final discussion activities