Course Syllabus

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Semester & Location:

Spring 2026- DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:

Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:

Human Rights, International Relations, Political Science
Faculty Members:

Mikkel Storm Jensen

Alexander Nordal Behrndtz

(current students please use the Canvas Inbox to contact)
Time & Place:

Tuesdays 13:15-16:10 

Classroom: V10-A33

 

Course Description 

DIS Cyber Warfare introduces you to how states use cyber as a weapon to achieve strategic objectives. It combines basic strategic theory with an understanding of the technological, tactical and legal attributes of military cyber operations with a practical introduction to what hacking actually is. It examines what new aspects cyber weapons adds to the realm of international conflict and great power competition. Furthermore it explores the special challenges to international law and norms in the cyber domain as well as the state's difficult role in establishing resilience through public-private partnerships. All through analysis of current cases and national strategies. At the course's conclusion, the students develop their own cyber strategies and experience the accompanying strategic and legal dilemmas as they test them in a war game.

 

Course Objectives: 

This course aims to provide you with a thorough understanding of the strategic aspects of conflict and espionage in cyber space. It is also the aim to provide you with an introduction to the technical aspects of cyber conflict.

The objectives of this course are to enable you to:

Gain an idea of the military possibilities and limitations in cyber space and separate facts from myths about cyber conflict through selected readings and class discussions of current cases.

Gain an understanding of the difficulties of applying international law to conducting or defending against cyber operations.

Examine and conduct basic analyses of contemporary cases in both war and hybrid scenarios in light of national security policy to enable students to analyze cyber events through a prism of strategy .

Increase students' ability to write analytical papers using strategic argumentation, including considerations regarding international law and norms.

 

Prerequisites: 

Knowledge of political science or international law. No knowledge of computer science is necessary. 

 

Course Instructors: 

Mikkel Storm Jensen

PhD (University of Southern Denmark, 2023). M.Sc. (Political Science, University of Copenhagen, 1996). Staff College (Royal Danish Defence College (RDDC), 2008). Since 2025 member of board of editors at West Point's journal "The Cyber Defense Review". Research interests: Cyber strategy: States’ use of offensive cyberspace operations. PhD explores the cyber weapons' influences and use in alliances. Has also written on defensive cyber strategies examening the state’s roles in establishing societal cyber resilience. Furthermore: Grey Zone Operations, Intelligence analysis, counterinsurgency and stabilisation operations.

 

Alexander Nordal Behrndtz

Cand.Scient. (Techno-Anthropology, Aalborg University, 2020). Test Specialist, Netcompany, 2021-2022. Cadet, Danish Army, 2022-2023. Research assistant, Royal Danish Defence College Institute for Military Technology, 2023-2024. PhD-Fellow, Royal Danish Defence College and University of Southern Denmark, 2024-present. With DIS since 2025.

 

Evaluation and Assessment: 

  • Two research papers (first paper is synopsis for final paper) on self chosen relevant topic, approved by Jensen or Behrndtz. 
  • Participation (preparation for class, active participation during discussions in class with quality inputs rather than quantity – based an analysis and reflection). 
  • Participation in strategy development and -evaluation during semester's concluding wargame. 

 

Assignment Percentage of grade
1st research paper 20%
2nd research paper 35%
Active Participation 35%
Presentation 10%

Main Themes: 

  • Cyber as a military means to achieve national security ends as part of a strategy
  • What is "hacking"?
  • Military cyberspace operations and international law
  • Grey zone operations, hybrid warfare and cyber
  • The state's role in cyber resilience
  • Planning and decision making during cyber crisis

 

Literature:  

Cyber warfare curriculum

You will find all literature as well as more suggested reading as pdf-files on Canvas under "Files" in the relevant folders.

Behrndtz, Alexander. “Re-Focusing the Boundary Meaning(s) of Cyber Resilience - only for review”. Journal of Cybersecurity, Forthcoming.

Biden, J. (2023). National Cybersecurity Strategy 2023. The White House. 

Carr, Madeline. “Public–private partnerships in national cyber-security strategies”. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-) 92, nr. 1 (2016): 43–62.

Christensen, Kristoffer Kjærgaard, og Karen Lund Petersen. “Public–Private Partnerships on Cyber Security: A Practice of Loyalty”. International Affairs 93, nr. 6 (2017): 1435–52. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iix189.

DOD. (2023). 2023 DOD Cyber Strategy Summary.

Dunn-Cavelty, M., & Suter, M. (2009). Public–Private Partnerships are no silver bullet: An expanded governance model for Critical Infrastructure Protection. International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, 2(4), 179–187.

Hillebrand, Gregory D, og Bill Ault. “Strategic Cyberspace Operations Primer”. US Army War College, 2023.

Jensen, M. S. (2022). Five good reasons for NATO’s pragmatic approach to offensive cyberspace operations. Defence Studies, 1–25. 

Jensen, M. S. (2025). Cyberspace Operations, Grey zone conflict and Small States. In Modern War and Grey Zones: Design For Small States. Routledge (2025)

Jensen, M. S. (2024). Denmark’s Sector Responsibility Principle: A Tedious Cyber Resilience Strategy. Applied Cybersecurity & Internet Governance, 4(2/2024). 

Jervis, R. (2017). Robert Jervis, “Offense, Defense, and the Security Dilemma,” in AJ, 93-112. In International Politics: Enduring Concepts and Contemporary Issues (13th ed.). Pearson.

Joint Chiefs of Staff. (2018, August 6). JP 3-12 Cyberspace Operations (2018). US Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Liebetrau, Tobias, og Linda Monsees. “Assembling Publics: Microsoft, Cybersecurity, and Public-Private Relations.” Politics & Governance 11 (august 2023): 157–67. 171381821. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v11i3.6771.

Libicki, M. C. (with Project Air Force (U.S.)). (2009). Cyberdeterrence and cyberwar. RAND. 

Lonergan, E., & Poznansky, M. (2023, May 2). Are We Asking Too Much of Cyber? War on the Rocks. 

Mazarr, M. J. (2018). Understanding Deterrence (p. 14). RAND.

Nilsson, P.-E. (2023). Unravelling the Myth of Cyberwar. FOI. 

Smeets, M. (2021, August). NATO allies’ offensive cyber policy: A growing divide?

Soesanto, S. (2023). Ukraine’s IT Army. Survival, 65(3), 93–106.

Sullivan, Scott. “Toward Clarity in Cyber’s ‘Fog of Law’”. The Cyber Defense Review 10 (august 2025): 73–92. https://doi.org/10.55682/cdr/v8z4-sxne. 

Taddeo, M. (2018). The Limits of Deterrence Theory in Cyberspace. Philosophy & Technology, 31(3), 339–355. 

Troxell, J. F. (2010). Military Power and the Use of Force. In J. B. Bartholomees (Ed.), U. S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues Volume I: Theory of War and Strategy (pp. 226–238). 

UK MoD. (2023). Responsible Cyber Power in Practice. GOV.UK.

US Air Force. (2023, February 1). Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-12, Cyberspace Operations. US Air Force.

Valeriano, B. (2022). The Failure of Offense/Defense Balance in Cyber Security. Cyber Defense Review, Summer, 91–101.

What is the Cyber Kill Chain? Introduction Guide - CrowdStrike. (n.d.). Crowdstrike.Com. Retrieved September 10, 2023, from https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/cyber-kill-chain/

Yarger, H. R., & Bartholomees, J. B. (2012). Toward a Theory of Strategy: Art Lykke and the U.S. Army War College Strategy Model (VOLUME I:, pp. 45–52). Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College. 

Links:

https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-cybersecurity

https://eurepoc.eu/ 

Approach to teaching

Class sessions will include short lectures by the course instructor, academic discussions, group work, guest lectures, field studies, creative assignments and simulation games. 

 

 Expectations of the students

It is expected that all students actively participate in class: do the reading for each class; come with notes and questions for the instructor and other students; actively and responsibly participate in their project group.

 

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

 

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

Course Summary:

Course Summary
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