Cybercrime

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2013:

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.

The Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:

• The ability to attend a minimum of 75% of classes and actively engage in the analysis and critique of complex materials and debate;
• The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
• The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
• The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
• The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.

Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit: www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Cybercrime examines how the online world has borne new crimes and law enforcement responses, as well as investigates how the computer has become both a target of attack and a tool for criminal activity. ‘Cybercrime’ explores a number of emerging cybercrimes and also explores how old crimes are affected in new mediums. How do nation states regulate criminal activity of those persons and organisations located abroad? How is law enforcement shifting from traditional mechanisms to new regulatory regimes and technological solutions? The subject will be taught from an interdisciplinary perspective. A technical background is not essential.

Principal topics will include:

• Hacktivism
• Online fraud
• Child pornography
• Online copyright infringement (criminal perspective)
• Digital evidence
• Cyberwar and attack of critical infrastructure
• The role of internet service providers
• The Convention on Cybercrime
• Internet and criminal regulatory theory
• Hacking, cracking, phishing, social engineering, pharming, malware, botnets.

A student who has successfully completed this subject will:

• Be familiar with the central principles of the technologies that underpin cybercrime and threaten Internet security.
• Be familiar with the nature of cybercrime and what makes it different to crime offline.
• Understand the different policy frameworks including national and international components.
• Be familiar with core cybercrimes including fraud, forgery, corporate espionage, malware, hacking, cyber-stalking, child pornography, and cyber-war.
• Understand current issues in digital forensics and electronic based evidence.
• Understand the limited role that law will play in the field with the introduction of mitigation and disruption techniques. These include technologies, regulation of enablers and financial institutions and economic strategies.
• Understand the unique challenges posed to law enforcement agents, policy makers and prosecutors
• Engage in debate on policy reform in the area specialist
• Undertake independent research of an inter-disciplinary nature

Class participation (10%)

8,000 word research essay (90%) on topic approved by the subject coordinator (22 April)

Core subject materials will be provided free of charge to all students. Some subjects require further texts to be purchased. Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.