Communication Design for Cybersecurity

This module equips learners with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to bridge the gap between technology and human behaviour.

Key Details

This module is delivered in hybrid format, as a combination of online, in-person and self-learning activities. The module uses innovative hybrid learning methods that combine live (synchronous) and self-paced (asynchronous) activities, with particular focus on practical activities and real-world scenarios connected to cybersecurity. Expert tutors guide students through the material, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience.

The overall objectives of this module are to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities needed to develop and implement effective cybersecurity communication strategies. Toward this goal, the module employs periodic quizzes, in-class participation and assignments.

Time commitment:

• Online activities: 7 hours
• In-person activities: 7 hours
• Self-learning: 28 hours
• Individual, team and guided projects and activities: 58 hours
• Total: 100 hours

Credit points:

• 4 ECTS

Grading:

• Lecture quizzes: 10%
• Seminar work: 10%
• Assignments: 30%
• Exam: 50% (scenario essay, quiz)

Subjects Covered

• Implication Design in Cybersecurity Communication
• Communication Frameworks
• Malicious Cybersecurity Communication
• Crafting Messages that Resonate
• Argumentation
• Data Sonification
• Artistic and Functional Data Displays
• Presenting Cybersecurity Strategy to a Skeptical Board
• Advanced Communication for Cybersecurity Professionals
• Problem Definition (Before Solution Generation)
• Yes-And Communication (During Solution Generation)
• Design Thinking for User-Centred Cybersecurity Innovation

Learning objectives

Apply communication frameworks to develop targeted messages for different stakeholders, ensuring clarity and effectiveness.

Analyze cybersecurity communication scenarios to identify vulnerabilities, malicious tactics, and areas for improvement.

Design compelling and ethically responsible communication strategies, including crisis messaging and stakeholder engagement.

Create and deliver persuasive presentations of cybersecurity strategies, integrating data visualization and storytelling techniques.

Utilize tools such as stakeholder mapping, message testing, and rapid prototyping to enhance communication effectiveness.

Module leaders

Florin Pop, PhD, is Professor of the Computer Science and Engineering Department of the POLITEHNICA Bucharest. His research interests are oriented to: scheduling in Grid environments (his PhD research), distributed system, parallel computation, communication protocols and numerical methods. He received his PhD in Computer Science in 2008 with “Magna cum laudae” distinction. He is member of RoGrid consortium and participates in several research projects in these domains, in collaboration with other universities and research centers from Romania and from abroad developer (in the national projects like CNCSIS, GridMOSI, MedioGRID and international project like EGEE, SEE-GRID, EU-NCIT). He has received an IBM PhD Assistantship in 2006 (top ranked 1st in CEMA out from 17 awarded students) and a PhD Excellency grant from Oracle in 2006-2008.