Cybercrime Investigations Course Information

by John Bandler

I wrote a book on cybercrime investigations (with Antonia Merzon) and it is really good. I use it to teach courses that address cybercrime investigations, cybercrime, cyberlaw, information systems and law, cybersecurity, and it is relevant for other areas too. It is gaining adoption by other teachers and professors for a variety of courses.

The book is extremely well-organized and modular -- take a look at the table of contents to see the areas it covers to see if it fits your course.

Excellent knowledge value

The price of the book means excellent value for students (last I checked a new version ranged from $52 to $65). However, this low price also means that it does not come with ready-made instructor resources (PowerPoints, assignment and exam questions, etc.) I have fielded inquiries on that, and we are considering what parallel resources it makes sense to supply. If you are teaching a course based on this book, feel free to reach out to me.

For example, I inherited a broader law and technology course that taught off an aging "Cyberlaw" type course book which cost the students about $150. My book, plus some of my free articles, provides written knowledge in a clearer way for the students, and at a lower cost.

Parallel resources

I have built many blog articles on this site that serve as parallel resources. They present concepts and facts simply and without hiding the ball or using 50 dollar words. If students can understand the basics first, then they can move on to greater complexities. My articles also provide references and links for that additional research.

For example I offer articles with greater information on:

  • Cybersecurity and privacy
  • U.S. Constitution and basic law principles
  • Virtual currency ("crypto" and cryptocurrency)
  • Laws and regulations regarding cybersecurity and privacy
  • Learning, writing, and test taking
  • Intellectual property (to replace material that was in the textbook I stopped using)

I am considering building out other resources, such as short video lectures.

Building your course

 

[SAMPLE] Syllabus

I can provide samples and help you build your syllabus.

The course book is modular, so you can align teaching to the chapters. Depending on the education level, focus, and chapter, you may cover a chapter in two sessions, in a single session, or cover two chapters per session.

The focus and depth of coverage is adjusted based on education context, e.g.:

  • High school
  • Undergraduate
  • Graduate
  • Law school
  • Professional

The coverage is also adjusted based on audience attributes, e.g.:

  • Technical (cybersecurity, incident response, digital forensics, etc.)
  • Legal
  • Traditional investigators
  • Financial investigators
  • And so on

[SAMPLE] Course Description - Cybercrime Investigations

Here is a sample course description for a cybercrime investigations course

This course offers a broad survey of the aspects, skills, and legal requirements regarding cybercrime investigation. Cybercrime is a local, national, and global threat, crimes are committed with near impunity, and law enforcement is not keeping pace. Cybercrime-for-profit steals hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Other malefactors and nation-states target our country and inhabitants for a variety of motives. Expanding laws, regulations, and best practices place obligations upon organizations for cybersecurity and privacy to include incident response, cybercrime investigation, and data breach reporting.

Improved cybercrime investigations are essential for reducing the cybercrime threat. These investigations are done by three important sectors: law enforcement, private sector, and regulators. Law enforcement and prosecutors need to better investigate and bring more offenders to justice to create a deterrent for would-be offenders. The private sector investigates cybercrime for their own well-being and to satisfy legal and regulatory requirements. Every organization in every state is subject to data breach reporting laws, which necessarily means performing a reasonable cybercrime investigation. Many are also subject to cybersecurity rules, and identifying the path of a successful cyberattack is essential to assessing whether cybersecurity was adequate. Government regulators investigate to ensure organizations are complying with their obligations for cybersecurity and data breach notification.

Cybercrime investigation is a holistic endeavor, conducted by individuals with diverse skills, backgrounds, and job titles. Importantly, this investigation is not just for technical experts – knowledge and expertise across disciplines is required. Each member of the investigative team needs solid foundations in cybercrime, technology, forensics, law (including criminal, civil, regulatory, evidentiary, and litigation), attribution, financial investigation, general investigation, and more.

[TECHNICAL AUDIENCE PARAGRAPH] Technical experts play an essential role, but technical expertise is not enough. They need solid foundations in many areas beyond technology. This course covers it comprehensively, for all current and future cybercrime investigators, and is aimed for those who already understand technology.

[PARAGRAPH IF COURSE IS AIMED FOR OTHER AUDIENCE DEMOGRAPHICS, SUCH AS LEGAL, TRADITIONAL INVESTIGATIVE, ETC.]

 

[SAMPLE] Course Description - Cyberlaw, Cybercrime, Law and Information Systems

Please contact me if you need assistance building out other courses based upon the book.

Conclusion

We need to build the next generations of responsible residents and citizens in our country, and cybercrime investigations is an area we need to do better with. We can help build our students into responsible, ethical people, who can seek and ascertain facts, then analyze them well to arrive at well-reasoned conclusions. Teachers play an important role. Our book on Cybercrime Investigations can help with this too.

Additional Reading

This article is hosted at https://johnbandler.com/cybercrime-investigations-course-information, copyright John Bandler. No claim to copyrights within the book which was co-authored with Antonia Merzon.

If you are considering building or teaching a course on cybercrime investigation, you have a license to use or adapt the material on this page for that purpose.

Originally posted 3/7/2022. Last updated 3/7/2022.