Course 2019-2020 a.y.

20657 - INSTITUTIONAL SCENARIOS OF CYBER RISK

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 25
CYBER (8 credits - II sem. - OB  |  6 credits SECS-P/02  |  2 credits SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
CARLO ALTOMONTE

Classes: 25 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 25: CARLO ALTOMONTE


Suggested background knowledge

Basic knowledge of Macroeconomics.

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

The first ‘macro’ part of the course (3 CFU) aims at exploring the deep interactions emerging across countries, currently shaping the global economic environment at different levels (economic, financial, political). The goal is to understand to what extent these interactions make the global system vulnerable to cyber risks, and whether national and international Institutions can cope with the latter while preserving the overall underlying architecture of the global network. The scope of the second ‘micro’ part of the course (3 CFU) is to develop a forward thinking cyber risk management strategy for governments at all level of giurisdiction In particular, the scope is to present and discuss the implication of cyber risks and evolving challenges associated with the digital frontier at international, national and the local level. Two seminars (1 CFU each, one on the macro part, one on the micro part) develop specific toolkits for students of the Master of Science in Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance, including an introduction to emerging professional opportunities and challenges in the program-specific professional areas (cyber risk analysis, cyber risk management and data protection and security). Seminars also introduce relevant cyber topics, and how they influence activities and value generated by companies, governments and institutions.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The first part of the course focuses on:

  • Analyzing the emergence of global value chains within the international trade system, and the implications for companies’ strategies and society at large.
  • Exploring the role of national and supranational Institutions and their ability to manage potential crises in the existing global production and financial networks.
  • Assessing the extent to which different parts of the global economic environment are prone to cyber risks.

The second part of the course focuses on:

  • Understanding the implications of cyber risk for governments and institutions at international, national and local level.
  • Discussing top down and bottom up organizational approaches to developing effective programs and actions to face challenges and increase the value generated by the public sector.
  • Illustrating the concept of secure cities and the collaborative role of different actors.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

Assess the vulnerability of the global system to cyber risks, and recognize how to tackle them from a public sector perspective in order to define policies and programs, as well as put in place actions required to govern it. More specifically, they should be able to:

  • Assess and interpret economic and political trends (also) in light of cyber risk, and identify implications and possible governmental actions.
  • Think strategically about the implications of cyber risk for the public sector at international and domestic level.
  • Re-assess evolving interests cities have on the digital world.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Analyse trends in the global system connected to the evolution of cyber risk, interpret how they affect government activities and define policies, programs and road maps for governing it.

Teaching methods

  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Company visits
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

DETAILS

The learning experience of this course includes, in addition to face-to-face lectures, thought experiments, case discussions, real examples and interactions with guest speakers from different organizations.


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
   x x
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Written exam (80% of the final grade). The written exam consists of exercises and open questions aimed at:

  • Evaluating students’ ability to interpret economic and political trends.
  • Identify implications and possible governmental actions in light of potential scenarios of cyber risks emerging within the identified trends.

Students can take a partial written exam and complete the written exam at the end of the course. In this case the weight is 40% for the partial exam and 40% for the final exam. Alternatively, students can take a final written exam that accounts for 80% of the final grade. Graded assignments (20% of the final grade) aim at testing the students’ ability to think
strategically about the implications of cyber risk for the public sector at international and domestic level.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

General written exam with exercises and open questions aimed at evaluating students’ ability to interpret economic and political trends (also) in light of cyber risk, and identify implications and possible governmental actions.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Slides and materials are uploaded on the weblearning.

Last change 21/06/2019 10:59