Welcome! Thank you for your interest in learning more about CSCI 1800 Cybersecurity and International Relations.

The course is available to students from the College and the Graduate School. Students from undergraduate, master's, and PhD programs throughout Brown can start their study of cybersecurity with this course if they'd like--the course assumes no previous knowledge about the topic, but provides a rigorous learning experience that examines the complexity of the cyber threat landscape and international relations. Advanced cybersecurity students can also benefit from the course and will be able to add a global perspective to their cybersecurity knowledge.

If you're a student at Brown and are interested in taking this course or are currently enrolled in it, please note that we will be utilizing a Canvas course website. This page shares basic information about the course for students at Brown as well as members of the public that might be interested in learning more about the CS Department's cybersecurity course offerings.

Registration Updates

Spring 2026 Registration

You may have read a note in the CSCI 1800 course listing on Courses at Brown which stated, "Enrollment limited to students in the Cybersecurity (SCM) program." This is an error. This course is open to students from throughout the university. The course is also avaiable to remote students such as those studying abroad.

Course Description

This course examines the role that cybersecurity plays in the relationships of nation state governments. Through simulations, interactive discussions, exercises, guest speakers, and readings, students examine how international norms, diplomacy, international law, and technology provide a de facto infrastructure for how nation states operate in the cybersecurity domain. This is a writing-designated (WRIT) course.