Cyber risks are not further restricted to the cyberspace. They threaten the functioning of society’s critical services such as food, energy and water supply and endanger communities sharing the same values such as human dignity and privacy. A cyber-resilient society has the capacity to withstand, adapt to, and recover from cyber threats and attacks while maintaining the continuity of critical services.

Global corporate and government networks compromised by advanced persistent threats (APTs) cannot only threaten the digital economy but additionally enable attackers to destroy industry facilities and public infrastructure on a mouse-click. Drawing inspiration from Marc Elsberg's novel "Blackout," we can see that cyber attacks on the smart electricity grid have the potential to trigger extensive power outages. The possibility of effective and universal cyberwarfare has become an alarming reality. Personal health data aggregated from different smart health devices may have the potential to expose a meaningful health status of patients to employers, and the government infringing their privacy. In these technology-driven ecosystems fostering sustainable human development is challenging and requires novel approaches and methods.

This research-guided seminar approaches how cyberphysical systems can be designed to be resilient against these risks by rigorously following a Security and Privacy by Design process. Risks and mitigating controls specific to essential services for different critical industry sectors in the digitally enabled economy such as energy, transport, banking, financial market infrastructure, health, water, food supply, telecommunication, space, and manufacturing are elucidated.

After attending this course, students will have the following skills.

Subject-related skills

•    Know about threats, risks and corresponding controls in the cyber-resilient society.
•    Understand the specific challenges to security and crisis protection specific to essential services in critical sectors (energy, transport, banking, financial market infrastructure, health, water supply, telecommunication, space) of the digitally enabled economy.
•    Understand the regulatory context of the cyberspace within the European Union.
•    Judge on the impact digital technologies have on human safety, privacy, freedom and autonomy as well as on the security of connected ICT systems.

Transferable skills

•    Apply a Security and Privacy by Design process in the lifecycle of systems.
•    Discuss research-oriented topics related to the design, security, privacy, resilience, ethical and legal foundations of information technology in critical infrastructures of the cyber-resilient society.
•    Apply scientific research and academic writing.

Standard FS (=”Forschungsseminar”) attendance policy applies. Attendance in the first unit and overall for 80% of the time is required. Attendance in the first unit is mandatory (unqualified absence will result in deregistration from the course).

Extract of the WU FS attendance policy:

The following provisions apply for research seminars: 

Instructors can reduce the student attendance requirement and the contact hours in class because a significant part of the students’ workload is done outside the classroom 

See below for mandatory attendance policy in the first unit.

The research-driven seminar is guided by current research results. Students are expected to elaborate on a topic of their choice, write an individual seminar paper (min. 25 norm pages á 1.800 characters incl. spaces per page (= min. 45.000 characters incl. spaces); this corresponds to approx. 15 DIN A4 pages depending on font size and spacing) and present the results to their peers. During this process, students will be intensively and individually coached. The seminar is complemented by interactive teaching and discussions.

Grading involves independent components, including:

50% Seminar paper
15% Research proposal and seminar paper coaching
15% Theory factsheet
10% Seminar presentation and accompanying materials (e.g., slides)
10% Active participation in the units, in-class exercises

Grading system

87.5% - 100%             = "Sehr gut" (Excellent)
75% - 87.49%             = "Gut" (Good)
62.5% - 74.99%          = "Befriedigend" (Satisfactory)
50% - 62.49%             = "Genügend" (Sufficient)
Below 50%                 = "Nicht Genügend" (Fail)

Successful completion of course 1 (“Basics of ICT” / “Grundzüge der IKT”) of the SBWL Business Information Systems.
It is strongly recommended to also have completed course 2 to 4 of the SBWL before commencing with this course.
If you hold a valid registration for the course but are unable to participate, please deregister during the open registration period in LPIS. Your spot can be granted to other fellow students.
Spots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis during the registration period.
After completion of the registration period, available spots will be allocated to students on the waiting list who have no valid registration for the relevant curricula's point. Students will be ranked by their study progress as determined by the vice rectorat for teaching ("hardship principle"), not by their rank on the waiting list.
Important Note: The participation in the first unit is mandatory; students who fail to come forfeit their place to students on the waiting list (in the  sequence of the waiting list). Students can excuse themselves if the reason for missing the first unit is serious and will concern only the first unit.

Selecting a seminar paper topic counts as participation and will lead to the course being graded. If you do not plan to participate please deregister before end of the registration period!

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