Postgraduate Course: Cybercrime and Cyber Security (LAWS11396)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Cybercrime is becoming an increasingly important area of criminology as more social activities take place online. This course on cybercrime and cyber security will provide you with an introduction to the criminological and sociological study of crime on the internet ('cybercrime'), including its commission, motivations, patterns of occurrence, detection, policing, and prevention ('cyber security').
This course is particularly suitable for students who would like to know more about cybercrime, (including its causes, techniques and consequences) and cyber security (including the different tools and methods available and some of the implications, including for privacy. Students from this course gone on to careers in fields including cyber security, tech companies, fraud prevention, policing, the financial sector, management consultancy, retail, intelligence analysis, and the legal profession. A number of previous students have continued their studies to a PhD in cybercrime or cyber security and to careers in academia.
|
| Course description |
The course is primarily criminological, sociological and socio-legal in content and approach. You will explore different types of internet-related crime; study relevant computing and network technologies, especially where used either in the commission or detection or prevention of cybercrime; analyse policing, legal, electronic, and other measures designed to combat cybercrime and considers their main strengths and weaknesses; and assess recent sociological and socio-legal theories of cyberspace and apply these theories to the specific field of cybercrime. Indicative topics covered include computer hacking; cyber attacks; media piracy; ransomware and other malware; cyber bullying; online harm; cryptography; and the use of AI both in cybercrime and in cyber security.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 50 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed by means of:«br /»
1. One essay of no more than 2,500 words in length for 50% of the grade. «br /»
2. One briefing paper, on an approved cybercrime or cyber security topic of the student's own choice, of no more than 2,500 words in length for 50% of the grade. |
| Feedback |
There will be an opportunity to obtain feedback via a formative assessment ahead of the summative assessments for this course. The formative assessment takes the form of a short written exercise designed to assess specific research and referencing skills relevant to the formative assessment, provide you with feedback, and help you reflect on ways you can further develop your writing skills. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Knowledge and understanding of key theories and models relatable to cybercrime, understanding of basic relevant computing, internet and cyber technologies.
- Ability to analyse, critique or develop existing theories, models, research methods or research findings in relevant areas.
- Identify topics of contemporary interest or concern and research and communicate an original analysis of the same to specific user audience.
|
Reading List
Majid Yar and Kevin Steinmetz, Cybercrime and Society (4th edn) (Sage Publishing)
David Wall, Cybercrime (2nd edn) (Polity Press)
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. General cognitive and analytical skills
2. Communication and IT skills
3. Autonomy and group working skills |
| Keywords | cybercrime,hacking,media piracy,cyber security,security,computers,internet,policing,police,crime,AI |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Richard Jones
Tel: (0131 6)50 2032
Email: richard.jones@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Susanna Wickes
Tel:
Email: Susanna.Wickes@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage