Cyber Criminology and Global Security (CRIM7080)

Course overview

This course will introduce students to foundational social science perspectives on cybercrime, and will examine a number of current and emerging threats that challenge the global security of nation states from a criminological standpoint. Topics to be covered include: social science approaches to and theories of online behaviours, environments, and cyber criminology; human factors in cybercrime commission and victimisation; terrorism and its digital elements; organised crime and its digital components; and cyber warfare, information warfare, and disinformation. Throughout the course, these will be studied in-depth through an examination of specific trends and cases to better understand the level of risk they present. Policy responses will also be canvassed with a focus on the prevention of global security threats, and the regulation of environments, processes, and behaviours that give rise to them.

Please note that CRIM7080 is a social science course that requires a proficient level of writing skills, communication ability, and language comprehension. In addition, for those with a technical background, CRIM7080 is likely to be different from courses that students have taken in the past. Students are encouraged to use the help and resources offered by Student Services, the UQ Library, and UQ Learning Advisors in these areas if they are new to social science or not confident in their writing and communication abilities.

Course requirements

Assumed background

CRIM7080 is a required interdisciplinary core course for all students in the Master of Cyber Security, Graduate Diploma in Cyber Security, and Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security. Students will have different backgrounds, and will be specialising in one of four streams as they progress their degrees: Cyber Criminology; Cyber Defence; Leadership; or Cryptography.

Please note that CRIM7080 is a Social Science course that requires a proficient level of writing skills, communication ability, and language comprehension. In addition, for those with a technical background, CRIM7080 is likely to be different from courses that students have taken in the past. Students are encouraged to use the help and resources offered by Student Services, the UQ Library, and UQ Learning Advisors in these areas if they are new to Social Science or not confident in their writing and communication abilities.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Please refer to My Timetable for the most up-to-date timetable information.

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Aims and outcomes

• Provide foundational knowledge about social science concepts, approaches, and theories used to study and explain online behaviour.
• Provide foundational knowledge about social science concepts, approaches, and theories used to study and explain online criminality.
• Reflect on the human elements of online crime and global security threats.
• Provide foundational knowledge about global security issues and their digital elements.
• Critically analyse different threats to global security.
• Identify historical, current, and emerging trends in online and global security threats, along with associated debates.
• Develop awareness of and critically analyse the effectiveness of policy interventions aimed at responding to threats.
• Understand threats to global security and associated digital elements from a comparative and international perspective.
• Reflect on the global and local characteristics of security and risk.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Foundations, Human Factors, & Terrorism Exercise

Mode

Written

Category

Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

30%

Due date

7/04/2025 - 9/04/2025

Opens at 2pm on Mon 07 Apr & closes at 2pm on Wed 09 Apr

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date. 

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted. 

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. 

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.  

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team. 

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

As these assessments are 48-hours, please be advised that applications for extensions will be considered in line with the intended length of assessment, and so for student equity purposes may result in shorter extensions than other types of assessment.

You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time. 

The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic. 

In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).  

Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.  

Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements. 

Students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible. Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team. 

Extensions in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval. 

Organised Crime & Cyber Warfare Exercise

Mode

Written

Category

Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

30%

Due date

26/05/2025 - 28/05/2025

Opens at 2pm on Mon 26 May & closes at 2pm on Wed 28 May

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date. 

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted. 

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. 

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.  

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team. 

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

As these assessments are 48-hours, please be advised that applications for extensions will be considered in line with the intended length of assessment, and so for student equity purposes may result in shorter extensions than other types of assessment.

You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time. 

The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic. 

In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).  

Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.  

Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements. 

Students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible. Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team. 

Extensions in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval. 

Essay

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

40%

Due date

9/06/2025 2:00 pm

Mon 09 June at 2:00pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date. 

Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted. 

By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. 

You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.  

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team. 

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time. 

The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic. 

In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).  

Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.  

Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements. 

Students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible. Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team. 

Extensions in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester. 

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval. 

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

The final grade is determined by adding together the sum of the individualﾠassessment tasks. Grades are calculated based on the marks received.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Supplementary assessment is an additional opportunity to demonstrate that the learning requirements for an eligible course have been satisfied and that the graduate attributes for the course have been attained. Supplementary assessment may only be granted where Supplementary Assessment – procedures allow. A passing grade of 4 (or P) is the highest grade that can be awarded in a course where supplementary assessment has been granted. For further information on supplementary assessment please see my.UQ. 

Additional assessment information

Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Modules https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/ 

School Guide for Written Assessments: School of Social Science Guide for Written Assessments 

Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The marks and feedback for the final assessment item will only be made available to the student on the Finalisation of Grades date at the end of semester.  

Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result  

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

There is no set textbook for this course. A reading list will be available on Blackboard. Please refer to this for a list of all course readings.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.