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
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
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
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
For minor students: For application EduXchange is used, application will start on Wednesday 15th of May 2024 at 13:00h.
Application period:
TU Delft, Erasmus and LDE students: 15 May 2024 (at 13.00h) - 31 May 2024
Leiden University students: 15 May 2024 (at 13.00h) - 4 July 2024
More information about the application procedure can be found on this website:
For Computer Science and Economy students: you can enroll from the 10th of July until 15 August.
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.
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.