KYBS3040 Cyber Security Psychology (5 cr)

Study level:
Advanced studies
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
English
Responsible organisation:
Faculty of Information Technology
Curriculum periods:
2024-2025, 2025-2026, 2026-2027, 2027-2028

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Learn to understand cyber psychology and human behavior. Deepen your knowledge of the differences between the online world and the offline world.

Description

The psychology of the user is important but has been largely overlooked for many years. Through understanding the user, and how they engage with cyber security, will only bring positive changes to organizational security, and to public safety. This course provides an overview of how the psychology of users are influenced by cyber security, and how cyber security is affected by the psychology of users. Psychological-, cognitive-, behavioural-, social-, and neuro- science perspectives, will be applied to understand users and their individual differences, and understand criminals, crimes, and attacks. This will be examined through the context of at the environment in which it happens, and examining what makes the online world different to the offline world.

Topics include:

  • Introduction to user psychology
  • Individual differences and cyber security
  • Digital inclusion
  • Trust and privacy
  • Security-related technostress
  • Authentication, psychology, and inclusion
  • Psychology of social engineering
  • Psychological aspects in cyber terrorism.

Students will be expected to watch lectures, undertake the assignments, and read from the key texts recommended for the course.

Learning outcomes

The student will gain a good understanding of the psychology of users; the basic theories and principles in psychology that could be applied to the user interaction with cyber security.

The student will have a good knowledge of the key issues users have to face while engaging with security, and the issues cyber security professionals have to face when attempting to improve users’ security hygiene, within the home and organizational context.

The student will gain knowledge and understanding of key contemporary research topics in the field of cyber security, from the psychological perspective.

Description of prerequisites

It is recommended you have already completed the Information Security Management course (TJTSM51).   

Study materials

Study materials will be a combination of lecture videos, academic articles, and other materials available online, including, industry reports, news articles.

Completion methods

Method 1

Description:
Students are required to: Watch all the lectures online, Read the required reading material and Complete the assignment. Online lecture videos will be made available twice a week. Discussion group session will take place twice a week to discuss the “topic of the day” and undertake activities. Discussion group sessions are not mandatory. However, the students who attend will be given the opportunity to interact with fellow students while engaging with this topic and develop their knowledge further.
Evaluation criteria:
Assignment (100 % mark): essay/report
Select all marked parts
Parts of the completion methods
x

Participation in teaching (5 cr)

Type:
Participation in teaching
Grading scale:
0-5
Language:
English

Teaching