Author: George Milliken

cyber 9 12 strategy challenge week 2

Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge WEEK 2: Beyond the Middle East – The International Relations’ impacts of cyber incidents

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In this unit, participants will explore how cyber operations and incidents can impact how states interact with one another. Major incidents such as Stuxnet have important geopolitical and geostrategic implications and can change the way states deal with one another. 

 

To understand how cyber operations fit into this complex landscape, participants will first be introduced to the foundations of the field of International Relations. Participants will explore some of the key theories of the field and what they mean, and also examine how “cyber” is changing those theories. The goal is to look beyond purely technical consequences of major cyber incidents and to explore how an incident identified in one part of the world can send political ripples all around the globe. 

 

Finally, participants will look at how private companies engage in international powerplay and what impact this has on international relations and strategy. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of Week 2, students will have:

  1. Examined the international impacts and consequences of major cyber incidents, using Stuxnet as an example.
  2. Explored the concepts and theories of the field of “international relations”.
  3. Placed cyber incidents in that international context, with the understanding that technological events can have non-technological consequences beyond their immediate vicinity.
  4. Explained and discussed the international implications of cyber incidents to a non-technical or non-IR-expert group of policy-makers.

1. Watch these videos

YouTube player

YouTube player

2. Read these

 

 

 

Read National Security and International Policy Challenges in a Post Stuxnet World (2014) 
An academic login may be required to access this.

3. Watch this video

Microlecture/YouTube Video Prof Noah Zerbe

YouTube player

This video Is heavily focussed on US policy and responses, as that is the topic of the microlecture. However, the overall themes are universal – all states deal with these issues. Prof Zerbe provides an example of how a state responds

4. Group activities

In your groups, discuss how major cyber incidents such as Stuxnet have an impact on the way states interact with one another.

Then, in your groups, prepare a 10minute oral presentation explaining the impacts of major cyber incidents on international politics. Prepare answers to the unit’s three questions. 

 

  1. What was the impact on the international community of: 

a. The discovery of Stuxnet in the open Internet? 

b. The Stuxnet operation itself? 

2. Who were the primary players in this operation? What is your evidence/explanation for this? 

3. What, if any, was the impact on International Relations of a private company – and not a national security or intelligence agency – discovering and publishing the existence of Stuxnet? 

 

Be prepared for additional questions from your Module Leader. 

5. Assessment

10 minute oral presentation and feedback from module leader 

cyber 9 12 strategy challenge week 1

Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge WEEK 1: Explaining the Technical Challenges

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In this unit, module participants will delve into the intricate technical dimensions of Stuxnet, an unprecedented cyber weapon, in order to be able to clearly explain technical cyber issues to a non-technical audience of decisionmakers. Exploring its architecture, students will dissect Stuxnet’s code, uncovering advanced techniques like code injection and zero-day exploits.  

 

Through videos and real-life technical analyses of a major cyber incident, learners will grasp the malware’s propagation methods and its tailored attack on industrial systems, particularly Iran’s nuclear facilities. Discussions should revolve around Stuxnet’s implications for global cybersecurity, emphasizing the significance of understanding such sophisticated threats. By immersing themselves in Stuxnet’s technical intricacies, students will gain insights into the evolving landscape of cyber warfare and the importance of robust defense strategies, while also gaining and practicing key discussion skills. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of Week 1, learners will have:- 

  1. Examined the technical aspects of a major cyber security incident with international consequences. Stuxnet is the example being analysed.
  2. Learned about the technical elements of Stuxnet.
  3. Learned about and understood how stuxnet was deployed and the implications of this for national infrastructure.
  4. Practised describing and explaining these technical elements to a non-technical audience of decision-makers.

1. Watch this video

YouTube player

2. Read these

 

 

3. Watch this video

YouTube player

4. Group activities

In your teams, examine how Stuxnet operates and its technical impact  

In your groups, prepare a 10minute presentation addressing the unit’s three questions: 

  1. What was the primary attack vector for Stuxnet deployment? What is the significance of this? 
  2. Which vulnerabilities did Stuxnet exploit? 
  3. How can a country like Scotland guard against this particular kind of deployment? 

 

5. Assessment

10-minute oral presentation and feedback from module leader 

cyber resilience lessons

Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety Lessons

These resources have been created in collaboration with teachers from Barrhead High School and Bearsden Academy. They are designed to be easy to use, with clear definitions and concise language.

The lessons are designed to introduce and reinforce that learners need to:

  • understand risks and potential harms
  • develop skills and strategies to reduce risk
  • have strategies in place to manage or report potential harms

This approach is based on the work of this literature review by the University of Glasgow (2024) – access the literature review with this link

Use this link to access the OneDrive folder:

Education Scotland digilearn cyber resilience BGE lessons

You must be logged in to Glow to access the resources. 

PowerPoint files cannot be edited but you should be able to make a copy in your own OneDrive and edit that.

recommended reading on screentime and social media

‘Screentime’ – recommended reading

This page contains links to articles and papers exploring the risks of ‘screentime’ and social media and the lack of data and evidence supporting its purported impact on mental health, particularly children and young people:

The great rewiring: is social media really behind an epidemic of teenage mental illness? (nature.com)

OII | Study finds screen time – even before bed – has little impact on teen well-being (ox.ac.uk)

Do smartphones really cause mental illness among adolescents? Ten problems with Jonathan Haidt’s book – Parenting for a Digital Future (lse.ac.uk)

Focus on teen social media use obscuring this key cause of depression (sfchronicle.com)

Systematic literature review of digital risk

A systematic review of digital risk and mitigations in children aged 8 to 12 – Challenges and Opportunities by Hana Butorova, Yvonne Skipper, and Christopher Hand, School of Education, University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow have undertaken this systematic review of literature on the subject of cyber resilience on behalf of Education Scotland.

A systematic review of digital risk and mitigations in children aged 8 to 12



cyberbullying

Cyber Resilience Toolkit: Cyberbullying

  go to cyber resilience toolkit home

Cyberbullying is a potential harm to children and young people online. It is classified as a communication risk as it involved at least one other person interacting with the user. (def, date)

“It is important not to get too hung up on the fact that your child has experienced bullying online, but to recognise that they have been bullied and need the same support as they would if they had experienced any other type of bullying. Take their concerns seriously, remain calm, and consider what they would like to happen.” Respect Me

Respect Me, Scotland’s national anti-bullying charity, defines bullying as:

“… a mixture of behaviours and impacts; what someone does and the impact that it has on you, which affects your ability to feel safe and in control of yourself. Bullying behaviour happens face to face and online and can include:

  • Being called names, being teased or made fun of
  • Being hit, pushed or kicked
  • Having your belongings taken or damaged
  • Being ignored, left out, or having rumours spread about you in
  • Being humiliated
  • Receiving abusive messages or having nasty comments made about you online
  • Being targeted because of who you are or how people see you“

Cyberbullying is bullying that involves the internet and internet-enabled devices, such as mobile phones and computers. This can include the bold text in the list above.

Supporting children and young people to reduce and manage risks, and report potential harms

Learners should learn:

Further information

Online Bullying – respectme

inappropriate content

Cyber Resilience Toolkit: Inappropriate Content

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Inappropriate content is a potential harm to children and young people online. It is classified as a consumption risk as it involves the user viewing, listening to, reading or playing online content, such as videos, livestreams, social media posts, podcasts, music or games. (def, date)

The NSPCC provides more information on inappropriate content here Distressing online content

They suggest that:

  • parental controls are enabled
  • children know how to use the in-app settings
  • inappropriate content is reported
  • children know how to take time away and relax if they see upsetting content – see the Childline Calm Zone for activities – go to Calm Zone

self generated media

Cyber Resilience Toolkit: Self-generated Media

  go to cyber resilience toolkit home

Self-generated media is a potential harm to children and young people online. It is classified as a creation risk as it involves the user creating images or videos of themselves. (def, date)

It is closely associated with communication risk, which increases the risk if the media is shared with another user. This also increases the potential harm, which might become cyberbullying or sexual abuse.

Further information (partner)

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