Credits: 5EC
Motivation: Cybersecurity involves a wide range of technical challenges, but also requires legal and ethical solutions. Because of the internet’s global and apparently borderless design, complicated legal issues arise. For example, whose laws apply in cyberspace? Which country has jurisdiction over crimes committed on the internet? And how do we attribute actions to users on the internet? Both end users, law enforcement, governments and businesses are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations on the internet, but the needs of each are different. Hence, technology designers must be aware of the legal frameworks within which they create new services and infrastructures for each of these parties. What’s more, each technological design also has legal consequences – it may affect existing rights and freedoms in a positive or negative way. Think of, e.g. the protection of privacy or freedom of speech.
Synopsis: E-Law provides computer security students with an overview of the legal frameworks that are relevant for cybersecurity and cyberspace, so that as cyber security professionals they are able to discuss legal issues with legal professionals.
Aim: To provide an overview of the Law, more specifically to be able to:
- distinguish legal issues from ethical, political and technical issues;
- read relevant legal documents (laws, directives, conventions);
- discuss legal issues with lawyers.
Learning outcomes: The student will acquire:
- A basic understanding of the key legal frameworks that are applicable on the internet in relation to cybersecurity, data protection and privacy, and fundamental rights.
- An appreciation of the complexity of legal and regulatory issues in a global, borderless network such as the internet.
- Skills necessary to understand and communicate with legal experts in relation to cybersecurity law.
Lecturers: Mr Dr Lesley Broos (UT) and Mr Joyce M. Kooijman (TUD)
Examination: Written exam.
Contents: Law, Democracy and the rule of law, private law, public law, criminal law, international law and the lex informatica / techno-regulation, jurisdictions and the Internet, privacy, data protection, big data and the law, robot law, net neutrality, free speech, legal implications of e-commerce, e-government, legal status of electronic signatures, cybercrime, legal protection by design, intellectual property rights, software copyright, legal protection of databases, liability, police investigations, public prosecution, cyber warfare.
Core text: Legislation, case law, various papers (available on Blackboard)