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Syllabus Cybersecurity: technology policy and politics - 50068
עברית
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Last update 27-10-2019
HU Credits: 2

Degree/Cycle: 2nd degree (Master)

Responsible Department: Communication & Journalism

Semester: 1st Semester

Teaching Languages: English

Campus: Mt. Scopus

Course/Module Coordinator: Dr. Dmitry Epstein

Coordinator Email: dima.e@mail.huji.ac.il

Coordinator Office Hours: Mon. 14-16

Teaching Staff:
Dr. Dimitry Epstein

Course/Module description:
This class is focused on intersection of technology, media, communication, and society. In light of its rapid growth and broad adoption, the internet has become both the medium and the target of military, political, social, and cultural conflicts. This class will focus on the technological, institutional, and political aspects of online conflict. Students will study this space by analyzing three interrelated dualities of internet design, regulation, and use.

Course/Module aims:
This class takes a very broad look at cybersecurity as a core issue in what we label as an information society. It aims to assist students in developing critical analytical thinking about the role of technology design, regulation, and use in contemporary conflict.

Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
First, the students will gain a bird-eye view of the information society and its vulnerabilities. Second, they will learn to identify a range of avenues of exercising power in the online environment. Third, they will acquire an in-depth understanding of the components of technology design, regulation, and use in cybersecurity. Fourth, the students will learn about cybersecurity in Israel. And finally, they will develop skills in communicating research-based opinions to the general public (course) and design a research project asking critical questions about cybersecurity (seminar).

Attendance requirements(%):

Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:

Course/Module Content:
Week 1: Course overview and brief introduction

FOUNDATIONS
Week 2: Thinking about communication and society
Week 3: Thinking about power
Week 4: Thinking about technology
Week 5: Thinking about cyber security

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION (PRACTICE MODULE)
Week 6: Research, policy, and expertise
Week 7: Communicating science and policy

PERSPECTIVES ON CYBER-CONFLICT
Week 8: Technological perspective
Week 9: Institutional and regulatory perspective
Week 10: Actor-centric perspective
Week 11: Cybersecurity in Israel

WRAP-UP
Week 12: Writing guidance
Week 13: Student presentations
Week 14: Student presentations

Required Reading:
Braman, S. (2009). Change of state: Information, policy, and power. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chapter 1, pp. 1-8.

Webster, F. (2006). Theories of the information society. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis. Chapter 2, pp. 8-31.

Braman, S. (2009). Change of state: Information, policy, and power. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chapter 2, pp. 9-38.

Benkler, Y. (2006). The Wealth of Networks. Yale University Press: New Haven, CT Chapter 11, pp.383-396.

Fichtner, L. (2018). What kind of cyber security? Theorising cyber security and mapping approaches. Internet Policy Review, 7(2).

Albæk, E. (1995). Between knowledge and power: Utilization of social science in public policy making. Policy Sciences, 28(1), 79–100. doi:10.1007/BF01000821

Hoffman, A. J. (2015, February 9). Isolated scholars: Making bricks, not shaping policy. The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Gattone, C. F. (2012). The Social Scientist as Public Intellectual in an Age of Mass Media. International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, 25(4), 175–186.

Singer, P. W., & Friedman, A. A. (2014). Cybersecurity and cyberwar: What everyone needs to know. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Part I

Kuerbis, B., & Badiei, F. (2017). Mapping the cybersecurity institutional landscape. Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, 19(6), 466–492.

Dunn Cavelty, M. (2018). Cybersecurity meets science and technology studies. Politics and Governance, 6(2), 22–30.

Tabansky, L., & Israel, I. B. (2015). Cybersecurity in Israel. New York, NY: Springer. Chapters 2, 5, 6, 7.

Weiss, M., & Jankauskas, V. (2018). Securing cyberspace: How states design governance arrangements. Governance, early view, 1–17.

Additional Reading Material:

Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 30 %
Participation in Tutorials 20 %
Project work 50 %
Assignments 0 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %

Additional information:
 
Students needing academic accommodations based on a disability should contact the Center for Diagnosis and Support of Students with Learning Disabilities, or the Office for Students with Disabilities, as early as possible, to discuss and coordinate accommodations, based on relevant documentation.
For further information, please visit the site of the Dean of Students Office.
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