The course examines cyber and other emerging technologies as a domain where states project power and protect their interests. It considers the interaction of state and non-state actors, cyber enabled conflict and cooperation, as well as cyber-enhanced tools of statecraft including espionage and information operations. It also considers how states are adapting to the threats and opportunities in this new domain, including those presented by emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), drones and artificial intelligence. Throughout, it explores the future of cyberspace and emerging technologies and the potential to disrupt ideas of national security.

 

Incorporating insights from scholars and practitioners at the ANU Cyber Institute as well as the wider academic and policy communities, this course draws from security studies, comparative politics, international law, psychology, and computer science. The focus of readings, lectures, and assessments will be more strategic than technical, though there will be coverage of the necessary technical vocabulary with which national security scholars and practitioners must be conversant. Throughout, global case studies are utilised to help illuminate different conceptual and theoretical perspectives, with an eye towards responsive security policy formulation.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand the challenges and emerging technological trends states face in cyberspace
2. Demonstrate a sophisticated appreciation of the emerging forces and technologies shaping the future of state and non-state interactions in cyberspace
3. Communicate analysis and argument related to cyber and emerging technologies, including properly applying correct terminology in technical and national security policy contexts
4. Demonstrate a good understanding of the measures, drivers and implications of cyberpower as well as the implications for cyber conflict and cyber cooperation
5. Analyse comparative national security strategies in cyberspace and emerging technology through case studies