Overview

The unit aims to help students operate effectively in the cyber security governance arena implementing frameworks and developing policy responses to issues that arise. The unit introduces students to legal frameworks that govern cyber security in Australia and the key governance organisations. Students are also exposed to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and mandatory reporting of data breaches in Australia and the growing body of Integrated configuration management system (ICMS) including ISO 27K. Students will learn about the changing nature of cyber security threats and the requirement for managers to maintain an up-to-date tool kit in relation to cyber law and policy.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the legal and regulatory structure for dealing with cyber security both domestically and internationally
  • Analyse cyber security policy and law in Australia and their application to business
  • Research and analyse the international standards that support cyber security governance frameworks in Australia
  • Critically analyse ethics in relation to governance and policy in cyber security

Teaching methods

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
12.50 12 weeks 150
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 50 - 60% 1,2,3,4 
ProjectIndividual 40 - 50% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Laws and legal frameworks that govern cyber security and cyber crime in Australia, including the key governance bodies of the internet
  • Governance of cyber crime and the internet in Australia and other common law jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada and the European Union (EU)
  • Understand the variety of national and international laws that have been enacted and proposed to deal with issues of data breaches, management of information, cyber attacks and online privacy
  • Appreciate the ethical issues that relate to the investigation/prosecution of cyber crime and the formation of laws in this area
  • Demonstrate an ability to identify some legal problems that may arise in business (e.g. privacy requirements, contractual relations and consumer protection) and some ability to predict how a legal problem might be solved.
  • Pivacy Act, ISO27,000(K)
  • Continuous improvement principles
  • Corporate policy
  • Policy framework
  • Risk acceptance, reduction, transfer and avoidance
  • Research methods

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.