Cybersecurity in the Political Domain: Internal and External Dimensions

COURSE OUTLINE

Introduction to Cyber Threats, Cyber Resilience, and Cyber Politics: This opening week lays the foundation by introducing key concepts of cybersecurity, cyber resilience, and cyber politics in global affairs. Students will explore how cyber threats have evolved into political issues both internally and externally.
Cyber Threats to Democracy – Institutions, Disinformation, and Social Impact: This week examines how cyber threats undermine democratic institutions and civic processes. Topics include election interference, disinformation operations, and online polarization. Through case studies, students assess the erosion of public trust and explore how digital literacy, civic tech, and regulatory interventions can strengthen democratic resilience.
State and Non-State Actors in Cyberspace: Students will analyze the range of actors active in cyberspace—nation-states, proxy groups, cybercriminals, hacktivists, and private cybersecurity contractors. The session focuses on motivation, tactics, and the complexities of attribution, as well as the strategic use of non-state actors in hybrid conflicts.
Cyber Threats to Social and Cultural Dimensions: This session investigates how cyber threats affect human behavior, public trust, and digital culture. Students assess cross-cultural cybersecurity perceptions, and analyze issues like social engineering, online manipulation, and the psychological effects of cybercrime and disinformation.
Cybersecurity in World Politics – Geopolitics and National Strategies: This week focuses on how cybersecurity has become a major factor in global politics and geopolitics, significantly impacting international relations and national security strategies. It’s seen as a tool for achieving national interests, and cybersecurity threats are increasingly seen as a diplomatic and political issue.
Cybersecurity and International Relations Theories: This week, students will apply classical and contemporary theories of International Relations (IR)—such as realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical theories—to analyze cyber-related challenges. Through theoretical lenses, students will examine how states and non-state actors behave in cyberspace, how power and cooperation manifest in the digital realm, and how ideational factors influence cybersecurity discourse and policy. The week emphasizes the value of theory in understanding strategic behavior, norm development, and the global governance of cyberspace.
Impact of Cyber Threats and Attacks (Part I) – Military and Security Dimensions: This week explores the impact of cyber threats and attacks on the military and national security domains. Students will examine the use of cyberattacks for espionage, cyber warfare, terrorism, and the disruption of defence operations. The session analyzes vulnerabilities in military systems, intelligence networks, and command-and-control infrastructures. Key topics include the risk of escalation, the blurring of civilian and military targets, and the role of cyber capabilities in hybrid warfare and strategic deterrence.
Impact of Cyber Threats and Attacks (Part II) – Diplomatic and Political Dimensions: Building on the military-security focus of Week 7, this session examines how cyber threats and attacks impact diplomacy and political relations between states. Students will explore how high-profile cyber incidents can erode interstate trust, strain alliances, and complicate traditional diplomatic efforts. The session addresses the challenges of cyber attribution, including technical uncertainty and political consequences, and considers how states respond through sanctions, public attributions, or legal indictments. Particular emphasis is placed on the difficulties of maintaining dialogue during and after cyber crises, the use of crisis communication mechanisms, and the role of international norms and law in shaping state behavior. Students will also analyze the impact of hybrid operations that blend cyberattacks with disinformation campaigns, further complicating diplomatic responses and conflict resolution.
Impact of Cyber Threats and Attacks (Part III) – Economic Dimensions: This session addresses the economic impact of cyber threats, focusing on disruptions to financial systems, theft of intellectual property, and attacks on critical infrastructure. Students will examine how cyber incidents such as ransomware attacks, corporate espionage, and supply chain compromises can lead to significant financial losses, undermine investor confidence, and threaten national economic stability. The session also explores the long-term implications of persistent cyber threats on economic resilience, competitiveness, and the digital transformation of critical sectors.
International Law and Ethics in Cyberspace: This week explores the legal and ethical dimensions of state and non-state behavior in cyberspace. Students will examine key legal frameworks, including the Tallinn Manual and the Budapest Convention, and critically engage with core principles such as sovereignty, due diligence, and proportionality in the context of cyber operations. Ethical considerations—ranging from privacy and surveillance to state repression and digital rights—will be discussed, encouraging students to assess the limitations and possibilities of current legal instruments and norm-building efforts in governing cyberspace.
Emerging Technologies, AI, and the Future of Cyber Conflict: This forward-looking session investigates the transformative impact of emerging technologies on the cyber threat landscape. Students will explore how artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and autonomous systems are reshaping both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. Key topics include AI-enabled disinformation, automated cyber operations, and the ethical dilemmas posed by algorithmic decision-making in warfare and surveillance. The session emphasizes the growing complexity of threat prediction, attribution, and response in the face of rapid technological advancement.
Strategic Responses and Capacity Building for Cyber Resilience: This week focuses on strategies for enhancing cyber resilience at national and international levels. Students will analyze the roles of public-private partnerships, cybersecurity education and training, critical infrastructure protection, and capacity-building initiatives in strengthening societal resilience to cyber threats. Emphasis is placed on cross-sector collaboration, institutional preparedness, and policy coherence across technical, legal, and political domains.
Cyber Crisis Simulation – Strategic Response and Diplomacy in Action: In this capstone simulation, students will apply their knowledge in a dynamic, real-time cyber crisis scenario involving a multi-stage attack on critical infrastructure. Working in role-specific teams—representing governments, international organizations, media outlets, and private technology firms—students will develop and implement coordinated responses involving decision-making, legal and ethical analysis, public communication, and diplomatic negotiation. The simulation concludes with a structured debrief, highlighting lessons learned, strategic missteps, and the inherent complexity of cyber governance in high-pressure environments.

The Master of Science Programme in "Advanced Cybersecurity Technologies and Governance" was established as part of the European EU-iNSPIRE project (INnovative multi-diSciPlinary Industry-focused cybersecurity education for upskilling and ReskIlling the EU workforcE), which began in January 2025, has a duration of four (4) years and is co-funded by the European Union through the DIGITAL-2023-SKILLS-05 program (Contract No. 101190054).