NS4910 Internet, Society, and Cyberconflict

Offered through the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. This course examines the internet in its broader social and policy context with a particular focus on threats in, of, and to the internet. The course considers the relevant questions of identity, agency, legitimacy, regulation, and innovation in the cyber realm from all angles, including public policy, national security, U.S. law, and international norms. It also will study the views, practices, and ethos of such other stakeholders as developers, hacktivists, tech entrepreneurs, and the public. This course introduces students to exponential thinking and advances their practice of strategic foresight as regards the ways that internet technologies currently under development may affect homeland security in the future. Prerequisites: None.

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

·       Understand what the internet is, what motivates the people who build it and maintain it, assess and analyze the social and technological trends that influencing evolving design.

·       Analyze the sociotechnical vulnerabilities of the internet, especially the geopolitical conflicts that underpin the need for the international regulation of digital technologies.

·       Analyze, evaluate, and contextualize cyberpolicy agendas affecting the internet, and apply these efforts to explore the current state of internet policy and conflict that pertain to homeland defense and security.

·       Analyze and evaluate state sponsored threats and the known cyber capabilities (both offensive and defensive) of the USA and its adversaries. Evaluate the specific threats confronted by federal, state, local and tribal authorities that are the targets of cyberoperations undertaken by state and non-state actors.