CC240
Introduction to Cybercrime
0.5 Credit

This course examines the changing nature of deviance in the online world. Central to its design is the assumption that the internet, particularly the worldwide web, has opened up new realms of social possibility including opportunities for harm and victimization. Students will be introduced to functional definitions of cybercrime, the growing typology of cybercrimes, and socio-legal responses that have developed through the 21stcentury.Topics will include “traditional” cybercrimes such as spamming, phishing, and fraud as well as the contemporary blurring of the divide between digital and physical crimes, including topics like revenge pornography, cyberbullying, and hacktivism. The course will also critically assess the use of classical and opportunity-based theories of crime as frameworks for interpreting cybercrimes and cybercriminals. This course does not require detailed knowledge about internet technologies.