Global Cyber Policy

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This is the undergrad version of CCTP-6058. Control of digital infrastructure has become a proxy for political power, mediating so much of importance in society from national security and the global economy to individual human rights and the very nature of truth. Public policy at these cyber control points is technically complex and carried out by a combination of governments, technical design communities, global coordinating institutions, and the rising power of private actors such as network operators and social media companies. Global Cyber Policy introduces students to the major digital flashpoints of the contemporary era. Many of these debates embed inherent ethical conflicts: speech rights versus content moderation; individual privacy versus government surveillance; human security versus rapid innovation; national sovereignty versus cross-border technology; and strong encryption of critical infrastructure versus weaker security for law enforcement access and intelligence. Students will gain an evidence-based understanding of the debates, technologies, and stakes of the global cyber policy flashpoints constructing our modern society. Learning Objectives 1. Technical Understanding. Understand the technical systems of infrastructure underlying cyber policy and Internet governance, including the Domain Name System, public key cryptography, VPNs, Internet protocols, cloud computing, network interconnection and access, blockchain, and emerging technologies. 2. Political and Cultural Contextualization. Analyze how cultural contexts and geopolitical struggles reciprocally shape systems of Internet governance and broader cyber policy discourses. 3. Policy Analysis of Cyber Flashpoints. Become well-versed in contemporary cyber policy debates, identifying the issues at stake, explaining alternatives, and articulating stakeholder positions. 4. Evidence-based, Ethical Stance on Contemporary Problems. Students will develop their own evidence-based, ethical positions on difficult cyber policy questions.