Course Outline

Offensive cyber operations continue to draw significant attention in mainstream media and political discourse as the targeting of systems such as those relating to critical national infrastructure remain a major concern for states and the private sector alike. This course is designed to tackle the most pressing questions and issues relating to the application of international law to cyberspace by examining the attributes of cyber operations to understand the challenges they pose for existing frameworks of international law.

The course deals substantively with underlying normative issues concerning the application of international law to cyber operations in an accessible manner with sessions that are grounded in practical case studies. The course covers different views on the relationship between the principle of sovereignty and cyber operations, including discussion of relevant corollary rules and obligations of conduct, and extends to include consideration of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. The course begins with a general introduction to cybersecurity and concludes with a discussion of alternative approaches to cyber governance.

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand underlying issues of cybersecurity, different kinds of cyber operations and the challenges they present for international law
• Understand different views on the principle of sovereignty and its relationship with cyber operations
• Understand debates among states and commentators over key areas of contention in the application of international law to cyber operations
• Be able to take a real or hypothetical cyber-scenario and identify relevant legal rules or principles that are implicated
• Gain an understanding of the relevant rules and principles of international law covered by the course that is beneficial beyond the cyber-context

 
View our upcoming courses