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CSS812

Cybercrimes

This course on Cybercrimes provides a comprehensive overview of crime and criminality in the cyberspace. It explores the role of cyber criminology in understanding deviance, crime, and terrorism online. Students will learn about emerging cybercrime patterns, relevant theories, and local, regional, and international cybercrime legislations. The course also addresses cybersecurity issues, challenges in policing cybercrime, and digital forensics, equipping students with a foundation for analyzing and addressing cyber-related issues.

About this course

Difficulty
Intermediate
Study hours
120 hours
Maths
None
Content
Theoretical, case study, problem solving, research
Practical work
No
How it is assessed
  • Assignments
  • Tutor marked assessments
  • Final examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of CSS812, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

CSS812 · UNIT 1: CONCEPTUAL DEFINTION, CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATIONS OF CYBERCRIME

Cybercrime scholars and international organizations have offered some classifications of cybercrime. Wall (2001) provided four categories of cybercrime namely: cyber trespass, cyber deceptions/theft, cyber pornography and cyber violence.

What you should be able to do

  1. Define and classify various types of cybercrimes.
  2. Explain the history and evolution of cybercrime.
  3. Apply criminological theories to explain cybercrime.
  4. Evaluate cybercrime legislations and cybersecurity issues.
  5. Analyze the challenges of policing and prosecuting cybercrime.
  6. Understand digital forensics and investigation techniques.

What it prepares you for

Careers
  • Cybersecurity Analyst
  • Digital Forensics Investigator
  • Information Security Manager
  • IT Security Consultant
  • Compliance Officer
Where it is applied
  • Banking and Finance
  • Telecommunications
  • Government and Law Enforcement
  • Healthcare
  • E-commerce

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

  • Module 3: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime II

    Unit 1: Hacking and Malware

    Understanding the technical aspects of malware, such as viruses, worms, and Trojans, requires a strong foundation in computer science and network security principles.

  • Module 4: Theories of Cybercrime

    Unit 1: Differential Association Theory (DAT)

    Applying abstract criminological theories like Differential Association Theory to the complex, virtual environment of cybercrime requires critical thinking and analytical skills.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 26 hours in total. Yours will differ.

  1. Week 1Module 1: Introduction to Cybercrime and Cyber Criminology
    • Unit 1: Conceptual Definition and Classification of Cybercrime · 2 hours

      Define cybercrime and cybercriminals. Differentiate between computer crime and cybercrime. Examine characteristics of cybercrime. Classify different types of cybercrime.

  2. Week 2Module 1: Introduction to Cybercrime and Cyber Criminology
    • Unit 2: The History of the Internet and Evolution of Cybercrime · 2 hours

      Trace the evolution of the internet from military experiment to general purpose technology. Examine Marcum's three generations of cybercrime. Review Gercke's account of cybercrime development from 1960s to 21st century.

  3. Week 3Module 1: Introduction to Cybercrime and Cyber Criminology
    • Unit 3: Differences between Cybercrime and Physical Space Crime · 2 hours

      Explain the meaning of cyberspace. Examine differences between physical space crime and cybercrime regarding proximity, scale, physical constraints, anonymity, and patterns.

  4. Week 4Module 1: Introduction to Cybercrime and Cyber Criminology
    • Unit 4: Cyber Criminology: Context/Intellectual Roots, Concerns and Future Directions · 2 hours

      Discuss the context of cyber criminology's emergence. Explore intellectual roots of cyber criminology. Identify the concerns of cyber criminology. Examine future directions of cyber criminology.

  5. Week 5Module 2: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime I
    • Unit 1: Child Pornography and Child Grooming · 2 hours

      Explain the concept of child pornography. Discuss categories of child pornography. Explain the concept of child sexual grooming. Discuss stages of child grooming. Examine strategies for combating child sexual abuse.

  6. Week 6Module 2: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime I
    • Unit 2: Cyberbullying, Cyberstalking and Cyber Squatting · 2 hours

      Explain the concept of cyberbullying. Discuss forms of cyberbullying. Explain the concept of cyberstalking. Discuss types of cyberstalking. Explain the concept of cybersquatting. Discuss types of cybersquatting.

  7. Week 7Module 2: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime I
    • Unit 3: Dark Web and Cryptomarket Operations · 2 hours

      Define the dark web. Examine benefits and drawbacks of the dark web. Define cryptomarkets. Discuss cryptocurrency and criminality. Examine challenges for formal governance of Bitcoin.

  8. Week 8Module 2: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime I
    • Unit 4: Digital Piracy · 2 hours

      Define digital piracy. Examine types of digital piracy. Discuss economic cost of digital piracy.

  9. Week 9Module 3: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime II
    • Unit 1: Hacking and Malware · 2 hours

      Define hacking. Discuss types of hacking. Classify hackers. Examine motivations of hacking. Define malware. Classify malware. Explain how cybercriminals launder banking malware profits.

  10. Week 10Module 3: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime II
    • Unit 2: Online Advance Fee Fraud · 2 hours

      Define advance fee fraud. Discuss types of advance fee fraud. Explain elements of advance fee fraud.

  11. Week 11Module 3: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime II
    • Unit 3: Online Identity Theft · 2 hours

      Define online identity theft. Discuss types of online identity theft. Examine techniques of online identity theft. Discuss the cost of identity theft victimization.

  12. Week 12Module 3: Some Emerging Patterns of Cybercrime II
    • Unit 4: Sexting and Revenge Pornography · 2 hours

      Define sexting. Discuss nature and prevalence of sexting. Examine forms of teen sexting. Discuss consequences of teen sexting. Define revenge pornography. Discuss nature and prevalence of revenge pornography. Examine effects of revenge pornography.

  13. Week 13Module 4: Theories of Cybercrime
    • Unit 1: Differential Association Theory (DAT) · 2 hours

      Review background of Differential Association Theory (DAT). Discuss propositions of DAT. Examine strengths and weaknesses of DAT. Assess applicability of DAT to cybercrime.

Preparing for the exam

What to do
  • Create a study schedule that allocates specific time slots for each module and unit.
  • Review all tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) and their corresponding feedback.
  • Focus on understanding key concepts and definitions related to cybercrime types and theories.
  • Practice applying criminological theories to real-world cybercrime scenarios.
  • Familiarize yourself with local, regional, and international cybercrime legislations.
  • Create concept maps linking modules 5 and 6 to understand the legal and practical aspects of cybercrime.
  • Review all self-assessment exercises at the end of each unit to reinforce learning.
  • Pay close attention to case studies and examples provided in the course materials.
  • Form a study group with fellow students to discuss challenging topics and share insights.
  • Prioritize topics based on their weight in the final examination.

Questions students ask about this course

What is CSS812 about?

This course on Cybercrimes provides a comprehensive overview of crime and criminality in the cyberspace. It explores the role of cyber criminology in understanding deviance, crime, and terrorism online. Students will learn about emerging cybercrime patterns, relevant theories, and local, regional, and international cybercrime legislations. The course also addresses cybersecurity issues, challenges in policing cybercrime, and digital forensics, equipping students with a foundation for analyzing and addressing cyber-related issues.

How many units does CSS812 have?

CSS812, Cybercrimes, has 24 units across 6 modules, over 212 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is CSS812?

CSS812 carries 3 credit units, at 800 level in Social Sciences.

Is CSS812 hard?

CSS812 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, case study, problem solving and research work.

How long does CSS812 take to study?

About 120 hours of study, spread across its 24 units.

How is CSS812 assessed?

CSS812 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.

What can I do with CSS812?

Cybersecurity Analyst, Digital Forensics Investigator, Information Security Manager, IT Security Consultant and Compliance Officer.

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