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Cyber Security and the Law (LAWS90266)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
July
Lecturers
Jonathan Gill (Coordinator)
Sarah Daniell
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | July |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Cyber security is becoming increasingly important with recent statistics suggesting that cybercrime cost around US$8.4 trillion globally in 2022 and is expected to grow to US$23.8 trillion by 2027.
Addressing cyber security is an urgent and critical task for the government, the economy, and the protection of people’s rights. In response to the growing number and scale of cyber security incidents, there has been an increase in regulation imposed on both public and private sector entities and it is this regulation which is explored in this subject.
While lawyers are essential in navigating and responding to this shifting and complex digital landscape, company executives and advisers working in cyber security also gain enormous benefit in understanding the risks and complexities in the way the law applies.
This subject will examine the framework of laws regulating cyber security and the tensions that must be balanced in addressing cyber security risk, both for governments and private sector organisations. It will review the intersection of data security objectives and privacy rights and the ways these objectives are sometimes aligned and sometimes diametrically opposed.
The subject will look at the several overseas jurisdictions to assess the patterns in international regulation of cyber security and consider possible future developments, both in Australia and around the globe.
Principal topics will include:
- Introduction to cyber security. What is cyber security? What are the threats? What are the specific cyber security risks?
- Overview of current international legislative frameworks for regulating cyber security.
- The Australian legislative framework for regulating cybersecurity.
- Cyber security as a corporate governance issue.
- Cyber security risk assessments and reporting.
- The legal issues raised by the occurrence of a cyber security incident
- Cyber security issues in the finance, health and telecommunications sectors
- The impact and requirements of Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 (Cth)
- The privacy implication of data security breaches.
- Contractual allocation of cyber security risks.
- Cyber warfare.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject should be able to:
- Analyse and explain the key principles in the law relating to cyber security in Australia and comparable jurisdictions;
- Identity the key cyber security legal risks arising in relation to a given public or private sector organisation;
- Discuss the cyber securities issues arising in the finance, health and telecommunications sectors; and
- Prepare a response to relevant regulatory authorities following the occurrence of a cyber security incident.
Generic skills
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate critical and creative ideas, and to critically evaluate existing legal theories, principles and concepts;
- Have the communication skills to clearly articulate and convey complex information regarding legal issues to relevant specialist and non-specialist audiences;
- Be able to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment and responsibility as a practitioner and learner in the legal field;
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess the effectiveness of the current and proposed laws;
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of the factors and processes driving the regulation; and
- Have the ability to apply learnings to diverse practical settings.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Class participation | Throughout the teaching period | 10% |
Option 1: Take-home examination
| 8 - 11 September 2023 | 90% |
Option 2: Research paper on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
| 20 September 2023 | 90% |
Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance is required. | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Students must choose assessment from the options listed above. If an option contains parts, all parts must be completed if that option is chosen.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- July
Principal coordinator Jonathan Gill Coordinator Sarah Daniell Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 14 June 2023 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the Reading Guide on the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 12 July 2023 to 18 July 2023 Last self-enrol date 19 June 2023 Census date 13 July 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 18 August 2023 Assessment period ends 20 September 2023 July contact information
Lecturers
Jonathan Gill (Coordinator)
Sarah DaniellEmail: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a 'first in' basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of waitlisted places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist materials will be made available via the LMS in the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-masters@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024