Cybersecurity and Social Sciences

Cybersecurity is typically conceived as a technical topic. In reality, the topic is multi-
disciplinary, and some aspects of the topic are best understood through a social science
lens. This course addresses the social, political, legal, criminological, and economic
dimensions of cybersecurity through a social science framework. Students are introduced
to a human-factors approach to understanding cybersecurity threats. Attention is given to
the social factors that contribute to cyber incidents and the political and legal mechanisms
that are developed to control the behaviors of those who create risks in cybersecurity
incidents. The class also explores how cybersecurity is studied by social scientists in
psychology, political science, criminology, economics, sociology, international studies, and
other social science disciplines.