• E4J University Module Series: Cybercrime

• Module 10: Privacy and Data Protection

• Introduction and learning outcomes

• Key issues

• • Privacy: what it is and why it is important
  • Privacy and security
  • Cybercrime that compromises privacy
  • Data protection legislation
  • Data breach notification laws
  • Enforcement of privacy and data protection laws
  • Conclusion
  • References

• Exercises

• Possible class structure

• Core reading

• Advanced reading

• Student assessment

• Additional teaching tools

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• First published in March 2019, updated in February 2020
  

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  This module is a resource for lecturers  

 

Student assessment

 

In addition to the exercises, other assessment tools used in this Module are review questions and homework assignments.

 

Review questions

The questions can also be used to promote class discussions during the lecture.

• Why is privacy important?
• How would you describe the relationship between privacy and security?
• In what ways does cybercrime impact privacy?
• How would you describe the data protection legal landscape? Is data adequately protected within countries and/or when shared across borders? Please justify your response. 
• Are data breach notifications mandatory in most countries? If not, should they be? Why do you think so?
• What are the ways in which data protection can be enforced? Do not forget to include both legal and technical measures in your response. 

 

Homework Assignments

 

Students can be assigned one or more of the following assignments to be completed before class as either a written homework assignment (one to three pages long) and/or be part of the class discussion:

Homework # 1 - Security, Privacy or Both?

To be secure, one must sacrifice his or her privacy.

Please evaluate this statement. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Please explain your response using evidence-based arguments by drawing on the core (and if desired, additional readings) to support your points. 

 

Homework # 2 - Regional Data Protection Laws: An Evaluation 

Review the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection of 2014.

• What are its strengths and weaknesses regarding data protection and access and use of data by authorities?
• How does it compare with other data protection guidelines and legislation (e.g., OECD, GDPR)?

 

Homework #3 - Terms of Service and Consent 

Instruct students to review the Terms of Service of an app of their choice and describe their thoughts on the Terms of Service.

Students should be prepared to answer the following questions about the Terms of Service of their app in class:

• Are Terms of Service easy to understand?
• What type of consent is obtained for generation, collection, storage, sharing, and use of information?
• Does the manner in which consent is obtained align with the GDPR? [The last question requires an analysis of the consent requirements of the GDPR and a comparison of these requirements with the provisions of the Terms of Service].

 

Next: Additional teaching tools

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