Course Description
More than ever cybercrime and cybersecurity are high on the agenda of the public and private
sector. Because of society’s increased dependence on ICTs, both in critical infrastructures and more in general, cybersecurity, cybercrime and cyberthreats of various kinds are at the forefront of academic and policy debate. This course will focus on these developments in light of the rule of law and addresses fundamental issues of legitimacy and transparency that are at stake when it comes to protecting cybersecurity and combating cybercrime. Furthermore, the course analyses the consequences of these developments for citizens, in terms of fundamental rights and civil liberties. Amongst others, the trade-off between privacy and security will be discussed.
The course will cover the following topics:
Cybercrime ecosystems and infrastructures
Cybercrime methods (hacking, ddos)
Substantive criminal law on cybercrime (hacking, ddos, malware distribution etc.)
Law of criminal procedure (special investigative methods e.g. offensive hacking)
Legal aspects of digital forensics
Special attention will be devoted to those issues that complicate the investigation of cybercrime
(jurisdiction, anonymisation and encryption).
The course will feature interaction with experts from the field of cybercrime. Students will also
experiment with cybercrime techniques (in a controlled environment) in order to gain a better
understanding of what cybercrime is.
Course Requirement
Master Degree
Assessment Method
Exam (60%)
Paper (30%)
Active participation in working groups (10%)