Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC2121: Cybercrime

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following themes:

  • Introduction: What is cybercrime? How do computers and the internet work? The deep and dark webs.
  • Challenges to law enforcement
  • Hacking and intellectual property theft
  • Fraud and Malware
  • Sex crimes and online harassment
  • Disinformation
  • Cyber-terrorism
  • Cyber-warfare
  • Digital forensics, examining forensic evidence, and legal challenges
  • Cybercrime, social theory, and the future of internet-based crimes and deterrents

Lectures will be complemented by practical lab-based sessions, which will focus on teaching basic open-source investigation tools that the students will use for their assignments and which will enable them to better understand law enforcement and private sector approaches to tackling cybercrime.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
331170

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities1111 x one hour lectures
Scheduled learning and teaching activities126 x two hour labs
Guided independent study36Course readings and other multi-media content
Guided independent study25Reading/research for essay
Guided independent study59Group work/research for technical report

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).