Admission requirements
This course is part of the ‘cyber security essentials’, open for all Security Studies and Informatics bachelor students.
Description
In our rapidly evolving digital world, we are constantly confronted with critical ethical questions. Should AI make decisions for us? Should facial recognition software be widely used? Does the need for security outweigh the right to privacy? This course will provide students a varied set of perspectives on pressing ethical issues within the digital realm.
We will examine ethical dilemmas through the lens of various theoretical perspectives. An important part of the course will be dedicated to studying critical theories. Students will be challenged to take different perspectives to understand and unravel ethical dilemmas in the world of cybersecurity. A good understanding of ethical challenges in this field is imperative, as AI is increasingly present in our lives, biases in data become more apparent, (ethical) hacking is likely to challenge existing juridical norms, and there are growing inequalities in terms of cybersecurity between the Global North and South.
By the end of the course, you will be well-equipped with the knowledge and skills to critically evaluate and address the ethical challenges posed by modern digital technologies.
Course objectives
After successful completion of this course, students:
Have acquired knowledge and understanding of important ethical theories, with specific attention for critical theories;
Can describe and explain key concepts related to critical theories
Can identify and assess ethical dilemmas in the digital realm such as privacy versus security and the responsible development of AI;
Can apply and compare the ethical theories to ethical dilemmas in the digital realm.
Timetable
You will find the timetables for all courses and degree programmes of Leiden University in the tool MyTimetable(login). Any teaching activities that you have sucessfully registered for in MyStudyMap will automatically be displayed in MyTimeTable. Any timetables that you add manually, will be saved and automatically displayed the next time you sign in.
MyTimetable allows you to integrate your timetable with your calendar apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and other calendar apps on your smartphone. Any timetable changes will be automatically synced with your calendar. If you wish, you can also receive an email notification of the change. You can turn notifications on in ‘Settings’ (after login).
For more information, watch the video or go the the 'help-page' in MyTimetable. Please note: Joint Degree students Leiden/Delft have to merge their two different timetables into one. This video explains how to do this.
Mode of instruction
7 (interactive) lectures.
Attendance is mandatory.
Assessment method
Group written assignment
20% of final grade
*resit not possible
Written exam
80 % of final grade
*Grade must be 5.50 or higher to pass the course
*Resit of a fail is possible.
*Resit will take the same form
The calculated final grade must be at least 5.50 to pass the course.
The examiner can always initiate a follow-up conversation with the student to establish whether the learning objectives have been met.
Reading list
The reading list will be added on Brightspace.
Registration
Required.
Contact
Jasmijn Boeken MSc, j.boeken@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
This course takes place in The Hague.
All sessions will be in English.
All assignments and exams need to be written in English.
When you register for a certain course, you automatically receive access to the environment of this course via Brightspace.
For more information about Brightspace, click on this link to view the university manuals. If you have any other questions or problems, you can contact the helpdesk of Leiden University.