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Cyber and International Security

This program is designed to provide learners with an understanding of cybersecurity from the perspective of the international strategic environment. It will explore key issues in the development and use of cyber tactics in international relations, in peacetime and a wartime context.

Next Dates: 24 Mar; View more dates
Duration: 3 days
Delivery mode: In-person
Location: UNSW Canberra City

Price (AUD inc. GST): $3,390
Spots remaining: AVAILABLE

Military personnel in a high-tech server room monitoring data representing cyber security, defense intelligence, digital warfare, and national security infrastructure.

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Course summary

Providing new perspectives

This program examines cybersecurity through the lens of the international strategic environment, exploring how cyber capabilities are developed and employed in both peacetime and wartime contexts. Participants will gain insight into the role of cyber tactics in modern international relations and their implications for national and global security.

The course also addresses one of the defining drivers of twenty-first century security: strategic competition between the United States and China. It explores this evolving landscape and examines the critical role cyberspace plays in shaping strategic behaviour and outcomes.

Who will benefit

Professionals seeking to understand the contemporary strategic context of cybersecurity and cyber policy, including how cyberattacks and cyber-enabled tactics are used in international relations—particularly within the context of US–China strategic competition.
Professionals in roles (such as in Defence, the intelligence community, and the Australian public service) who would benefit from a deeper understanding of cyber elements of national security and the strategic environment Australia is operating in.

Course is suitable for

The course is designed for beginners and assumes no prior knowledge.

Delivered by experts

Dr Sally Burt

Facilitator

Dr Sally Burt has a PhD in Sino-US diplomatic history from the Australian National University. Sally brings this expertise to her research and analysis of the diplomatic context of cyber relations and diplomacy, the development of international cyber norms, the strategic use of information warfare and influence operations.
She also examines how cyber-enabled and traditional forms of coercion and deterrence are employed in conflict and as measures short of war. She has published books, journal articles, reports and on online forums and has spoken at international symposia and conferences.

About the course

Cracking the cyber code: What you'll learn

This course is structured around four core learning areas that provide a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity in the modern international landscape. It begins with an exploration of the human side of cybersecurity, examining the roles of individuals, organizations and human behavior in shaping cyber risks and responses.

The course then addresses cyber governance within the international system, considering the policies, frameworks and collaborative efforts that guide state and non-state actors in cyberspace. A key focus is placed on the role of cyber operations in the context of strategic competition between the United States and China, highlighting how cyber capabilities influence global power dynamics. Finally, the course investigates the nature of cyber threats to national security and considers the evolving future of warfare, including the implications of emerging technologies and novel cyber strategies.

Why enrol in this course

Strategic relevance

Cyber security as a critical component of contemporary international and national security.

Policy insight

Increase understanding of cyber policy and governance in domestic and international contexts.

State behaviour analysis

Deeper insight into the strategic use of cyber capabilities by nation states.

Analytical capability

Stronger ability to assess emerging cyber threats and geopolitical challenges.

Key features

Cyber and international security focus

Strategic examination of the relationship between cyber security and international security.

Geopolitical context

Analysis of cyber security within global power competition and broader geopolitical dynamics.

Policy and governance perspectives

Learn about cyber policy, governance frameworks and state behaviour in the international system.

Human and social dimensions

Develop understanding on political, social, and human factors shaping cyber security outcomes.

Learning outcomes

Influence of cyber technology

This course equips learners with a deep understanding of cybersecurity within the international strategic environment. Participants will develop the ability to analyze how cyber operations intersect with global politics, particularly in the context of U.S.-China strategic competition, and understand the broader implications for other international actors.

The course also emphasizes the human and social dimensions of cybersecurity, the role of cyber in international relations, and the development of future cyber policy in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

What you'll learn

By completing this course, learners will gain the skills and knowledge to understand how cyber capabilities are applied in key international relations tactics and to define cybersecurity from a human and social perspective. Participants will explore the core elements of U.S.-China strategic competition in cyberspace and examine the impact of this rivalry on other global actors.

The course will also provide insights into how cyber technology interacts with international security and diplomacy, while equipping learners to investigate and shape future cyber policy within the current strategic environment.

Topics covered

Skills/competencies/knowledge that would be gained through this course:

By completing this course, learners will be able to:

Identify some key international relations tactics and how cyber is used in them.
Define cyber security in a human-social context.
Describe key elements of US-China Strategic competition from a cyber security context.
Explain the impact of Sino-US competition in cyberspace on other key international players.
Examine how cyber technology interacts with international relations and security.
Investigate future cyber policy in the context of the current strategic environment.