Admission requirements
This course is part of the minor Public Risk and Disaster. The course is taught at TU Delft by lecturers from TU Delft. The course can only be taken within the framework of participation in the minor PRD. This minor is a consistent package of courses designed to help you build your knowledge in a logical and connected way. It is not possible to follow single courses.
Description
In today's interconnected digital landscape, the impact of cybersecurity events extends far beyond their initial occurrence. The course "Researching Cascading Effects: Understanding the Ripple Effects of Cybersecurity Events" is designed to build on knowledge gained during minor and major studies by analyzing cyber incidents and forecasting the consequences stemming from them.
Throughout this course, students will explore cybersecurity events and predict their cascading effects on individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. By examining real-world cases, they will gain a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of cybersecurity incidents and how exploited vulnerabilities can trigger chain reactions of disruption across various sectors.
As part of the coursework, students will collaborate on a group report analyzing the root causes of a cybersecurity incident. Additionally, each student will produce an individual report assessing its potential cascading effects within the area of their major studies.
Course objectives
By the end of the course, the student should be able to:
1. Analyze real cybersecurity incidents and identify their causes
2. Forecast potential cascading effects of real cybersecurity incidents on individuals, organizations, societies and ecosystems
3. Estimate the impact and probabilities of such events
4. Work and communicate effectively with students with other disciplinary backgrounds
5. Produce a group and an individual reports with the results of the analyses in a specified format
Timetable
The course schedule can be found at the TU Delft timetable: https://mytimetable.tudelft.nl/schedule. You can find the course schedule via ‘add timetable’ after logging in with your TU Delft credentials. Researching cascading effects has course code TBM027C.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Group meetings
Office hours
Participation in lectures and an active work in groups is required in order to obtain a grade. Group and individual assignments are compulsory – if they are not provided, the student will not receive their final grade.
Assessment method
Assessment:
1. An individual report with the analysis of the effects fo a cybersecurity incident (summative assessment)
30% of the total grade
Grade must be 5.5 or higher
Resit is possible only if minimum grade is not reached
- A group report with the analysis of the causes of a cybersecurity incident (summative assessment)
30% of the total grade
Grade must be 5.5 or higher
Resit is not possible
- Peer evaluation of group work
15% of the total grade
Peers anonymously evaluate the contribution of each member of the group besides themselves
Student gets (1.5 points) x (contribution)
Resit is not possible
- Providing the feedback for a group report
5% of the total grade
Pass/fail
Resit is not possible
- Feedback quality
20% of the total grade
Group evaluates the quality of the provided feedback
Resit is not possible
Grading and passing the course
In order to pass the course, the combined grade has to be at least 6.0 out of 10. For all courses of the minor PRD, final grades are rounded off to the nearest half point, except between 5 and 6. For grades between 5.0 and 6.0, a 5.5 and higher will be rounded up to a 6.0, and grades below 5.5 will be rounded down to 5.0. No final grades between 5.0 and 6.0 will be given. Maximum grade is 10.
If the final score is a passing grade, students are not allowed to retake to obtain a higher grade, unless given explicit permission by the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (Leiden University).
This course is part of the minor Public Risk and Disaster. This minor needs to be completed in one academic year. It is not possible to retake courses that you have not passed during the following academic year. If you think an exception to this rule applies to you, please contact the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (Leiden University).
No matter what academic institution a student comes from, the minor Public Risk and Disaster falls under the course and examinations regulation of the bachelor Security Studies of Leiden University. These course rules are further expanded on in the rules and regulations of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (Leiden University). This Board of Examiners is also the relevant body for disputes.
Reading list
The reading list will be made available via Brightspace.
For all six courses from the minor PRD – so both the courses offered by Leiden University as by TU Delft – the Brightspace platform from Leiden University will be used. So all study materials for this course can be found on the Brightspace platform from Leiden University.
Registration
To be announced by OSC staff.
Contact
Dr. Y. Zhauniarovich
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management
E-mail: Y.Zhauniarovich@tudelft.nl
Room: B2.190 (building 31 TU Delft, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft)
Dr. Karolien van Nunen
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management
E-mail: K.L.L.vanNunen@tudelft.nl
Room: C1.130 (building 31 TU Delft, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft)