Self-standing modules: Cybersecurity Law & Society

Location: Online by 
Zoom Viktoriia Bolotova ID: 809 780 0225Code of Access: 054979,
Zoom Olena Chernenko: ID: 849 1251 7509Code of Access: 0X59kw
in V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine
Date: October 11 – December 13, 2024, Schedule 

Course description

Course «Cybersecurity law and society»addresses the extent to which these threatening phenomena are prevalent in Ukraine and the world, how they are countered, and which countermeasures are effective. Digital technologies have become an integral part of modern society, significantly changing our daily life.  However, alongside numerous benefits, they also bring a range of negative social consequences, from economic inequality and cybercrime to privacy violations and online violence. 

Course theme

Economic inequality in the digital era means unequal access to digital technologies and resources, leading to disparities in income, employment opportunities, education, and healthcare access. The primary causes of this problem are the uneven distribution of technology, low levels of digital literacy, and regional and social differences. In developed countries, access to the internet and modern technologies is more widespread, while in less developed regions, the lack of infrastructure hinders economic development. 

Another issue is cybercrime. It involves illegal activities conducted using information technology. This phenomenon encompasses a wide range of crimes, including hacking, identity theft, financial fraud, the spread of malware, and cyberterrorism. The causes of cybercrime include the high level of digitalization in society, the availability of technology, online anonymity, and inadequate cybersecurity of many organizations and individuals. These factors create favourable conditions for criminals who can cause significant harm at both the individual and organizational or state level. The consequences of cybercrime are serious and varied, ranging from financial losses and reputational damage to threats to national security.

This course will also provide students exposure to the key legal and policy issues related to cybersecurity, including the legal authorities and obligations of both the government and the private sector with respect to protecting computer systems and networks. The course will also explore the legislative and technology landscape in this dynamic area and will provide students with opportunities to discuss cutting-edge issues at the intersection of law, technology, and policy.

Another issue requiring further study is digital democracy, which involves using digital technologies to promote more active citizen participation in political processes, increase the transparency and accountability of government decisions, and strengthen democratic institutions. Digital platforms and tools such as electronic voting, online petitions, platforms for public discussions, and social networks can significantly improve decision-making processes, making them more inclusive and effective.

Avoiding manipulation and falsification in the digital political environment is a critical challenge. For this, it is important to develop and implement robust cybersecurity systems that will protect electoral processes and citizens' personal data. Educational programs aimed at increasing the digital literacy of the population will help users recognize disinformation and manipulation. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure the transparency of social network algorithms used for disseminating political information.

Course structure (topics)

  1. Society in the Digital Age: Features and Challenges
  2. The EU digital transformation policy: key aspects
  3. The concept of cybersecurity and types of cyber threats
  4. Cybercrime as a Social Phenomenon
  5. The legal regulation of the countering cyberthreats and ensuring
  6. cyber security: learning from the EU
  7. The institutional instruments of the EU cybersecurity policy.
  8. The Peculiarities of Propaganda and Manipulation in the Information Society
  9. Democracy in the Age of Digital Technologies

Course setup

You will do group assignments, focused ondifferent problems of digital societyand cybersecurity, seeking to answer a number of key research questions:

  1. What criteria must a society meet to be considered a digital society? What advantages and problems does such a society have, how does its structure, interaction between people, goals, values, etc. change? How do digital technologies affect the place of societies on the world stage?
  2. What additional economic, physical, psychological, social threats do individuals face in connection with existence in a virtual environment and how can they be countered?
  3. What cybersecurity threats exist in the modern world and how to deal with them? What new types of crime are emerging, what are the factors of their occurrence and spread? Who is most vulnerable to cybercrime and violence?
  4. How do the nature and criteria of trust change in connection with digital technologies? How are digital technologies used to manipulate propaganda? How can people navigate the new information field and trust the information they receive? What methods of verifying the authenticity of information can be used?
  5. What legal acts regulate cybersecurity in the EU and countering cyber threats? Which EU institutions have competence in this area?

Active collaborative learning

During the course students will work (online) in groups of 3-4 students on assignments related to the above research questions.

Preparation of projects is carried out on the basis of searching for data from open sources, analysis of existing scientific and journalistic literature, conducting own mini-researches

Assessment and deliveries

Execution of the project requires a range of different academic skills and competencies, from analytical-theoretical to empirical-technical and collaborative-reflective practice ones.

Academic achievements and success (2.5 ECTS credit points in total) is based on Project report + presentation (group work; 60% + 40%)

Entry requirements for participation

The interdisciplinary course is open for selected master students of Karazin University and Aurora/EURIDICE partner universities, having bachelor-level knowledge or experience in a relevant field.

The course is designed for anybody looking to increase their knowledge of digital risks for society, and the tools and techniques used to guard against them; and to get acquainted with cybersecurity and EU cyber security policy aims to protect against cyber threats and cyber-attacks.

Form of tuition

This course will contain lectures, seminars, as well as a group project. Students’ groups are supposed to be multidisciplinary that will help to solve interdisciplinary issues and problem that society face with an increasing role of digital technology.

Estimated time budget

This is a 10-week course of 2.5 ECTS. It requires 1 day per week attendance of all lectures and seminars. In addition, students will do group work in their own time. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will:

  • Understand the essence of digital inequality and its consequences for societies, groups and individuals. (Applying knowledge and understanding).
  • Perform a systematic risk identification and analysis that digital technologies imply for society, and demonstrate an ability to deal with complex issues.(Making judgments).
  • Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of a wide range of current research and technological advances in cyber security and the ability to assess these.(Making judgments).
  • Understand the different types of cybersecurity threats and apply the strategies how to deal with them.(Inquiry & analysis, Making judgments).
  • Understand the role of a cybersecurity policy and law for protecting information assets, as well as demonstrate self-direction in designing security policies to defend those assets within the context of global communication and the web. (Inquiry & analysis, Creative Problem-solving).
  • Understand the changes in trust criteria that have occurred with the development of the information society, be able to identify techniques of propaganda, manipulation and fakes that are carried out thanks to digital technologies.(Critical Thinking,Making judgments).
  • Be trained to (i) explore the problems raised in society in the wake of digital technologies application, as well as cyberattacks etc (ii) identify and address the appropriate strategies and solutions. (Inquiry & analysis,Creative Problem-solving).

Lecturing team

  • Dr. Olena Mykolenko (General course coordinator).
  • Dr. Olena Chernenko, Associate Professor of the Department of International Relations, International Information and Security, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.
  • Dr. Viktoriia Bolotova, Associate Professor at the Applied Sociology and Social Communications Department, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.

The virtual classroom

We will use a virtual classroom, available at Zoom.