CS 8803 O34: Human Dimension of Cybersecurity

Instructional Team

Ryan Shandler
Ryan Shandler
Creator, Instructor
Keerat Rahman
Keerat Rahman
Head TA

Overview

This course examines the human dimension of cybersecurity as a critical component of modern computing systems. Moving beyond purely technical defenses, students will analyze how human behavior shapes vulnerabilities, threat models, and security outcomes in socio-technical environments. The course emphasizes adversarial thinking as a core competency, enabling students to evaluate systems from both attacker and defender perspectives. Through topics such as cognitive biases, trust, and decision-making under uncertainty, students will examine how human factors contribute to security failures, including phishing, social engineering, insider threats, and platform misuse.

Building on this foundation, the course situates individual behavior within broader cybersecurity ecosystems spanning organizations, online communities, and geopolitical contexts. Students will examine how diverse threat actors—ranging from cybercriminal networks and ransomware groups to state-sponsored operations—exploit human behavior to achieve their objectives. In parallel, the course analyzes how institutions design policies, governance structures, and technical controls to mitigate these risks, including their limitations. Case studies and scenario-based exercises expose students to real-world challenges such as cybercrime, digital harassment, and cyber-terrorism, emphasizing the interaction between human actors and technical systems.

Drawing on interdisciplinary research from political psychology, behavioral economics, and cyber policy, the course equips students with frameworks to analyze and address cybersecurity challenges through a human-centered lens. Students will engage with scholarly literature, synthesize empirical findings, and apply analytical tools to new problems. The course prepares those seeking to work at the intersection of technology, policy, and society, emphasizing the critical thinking and research skills required for advanced study and professional practice in cybersecurity.

This course is not foundational and does not count toward any specializations at present, but it can be counted as a free elective.

Course Goals

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Analyze how emotional and cognitive processes affect public perception, policy preferences, and behavioral responses to cybersecurity incidents.
  2. Evaluate how psychological traits and biases shape susceptibility to misinformation, trust in institutions, and cybersecurity-related decision-making.
  3. Categorize and assess the motivations, strategies, and capabilities of various cyber actors, including cybercriminals, terrorists, and vigilantes.
  4. Apply interdisciplinary frameworks to understand how cyber harms are measured and how resilience is developed at individual, organizational, and societal levels.
  5. Critically engage with debates around digital censorship, internet shutdowns, and the politics of information control in the digital age.
  6. Develop policy-relevant insights into how psychological, social, and political dynamics intersect with technical cybersecurity challenges.

Sample Syllabus

Spring 2027 syllabus (PDF)

Note: Sample syllabi are provided for informational purposes only. For the most up-to-date information, consult the official course documentation.

Before Taking This Class...

Suggested Background Knowledge
  • Familiarity with basic research methods and the ability to critically engage with academic readings and empirical studies.
  • Comfort with interdisciplinary thinking, especially integrating insights across technology, policy, and human behavior.

Academic Integrity

All Georgia Tech students are expected to uphold the Georgia Tech Academic Honor Code. This course may impose additional academic integrity stipulations; consult the official course documentation for more information.