Why this course?

This on-demand course is your fast track to the public international law framework for countering cybercrime. It focuses on two pillars – international criminal law (ICL) and jurisdiction – so you can identify when cyber conduct engages individual criminal responsibility and where states may legislate, enforce, and adjudicate across borders.

To complete the picture, we explain how international humanitarian law (IHL) guides the identification of cyber war crimes, as well as when cyber operations meet the use of force threshold relevant to establishing the crime of aggression.

Delivered in concise, pre‑recorded videos you can watch anytime, the course is built for government officials, counsel, investigators, diplomats, cyber operators, and researchers. You’ll leave with a practical model you can apply immediately: understand the ICL liability framework (sources, evidence, modes of liability); evaluate cyber conduct across the four core crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, crime of aggression); and determine where states may act to counter online criminal activity (jurisdiction).

  • FORMAT

    6.5 hours of captioned video lessons on complex legal concepts, split into bite-sized, manageable chunks for a self-paced and effective learning experience. Multiple choice tests to assess understanding of the subject matter.

  • TARGET AUDIENCE

    Government officials working on countering cybercrime, including lawyers, law enforcement personnel, legislators, diplomats, policy makers, cyber operators; staff of international organizations and NGOs; employees of technology companies; attorneys; international law scholars and students.

  • UPCOMING DATES

    Upon registration you will gain immediate access to the entire course content for 90 days.

Instructors

Marko Milanovic

Professor Marko Milanovic is of-counsel with Cyber Law International. He is also Professor of Public International Law at the University of Reading and the Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Chair of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the University Lund. Professor Milanovic has held visiting professorships at Michigan Law School, Columbia Law School, Deakin Law School, the University of the Philippines College of Law, and the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. He has served as counsel and advisor in proceedings before the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, and the Constitutional Court of Serbia, and is the Special Adviser to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Cyber-Enabled Crimes.

Michael Schmitt

Professor Michael Schmitt is the Director of Legal Affairs at Cyber Law International. He is also Professor of Public International Law at the University of Reading, the G. Norman Distinguished Scholar at the Lieber Institute of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Strauss Center Distinguished Scholar and Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Texas, and Charles H. Stockton Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the United States Naval War College’s Stockton Center for International Law.

Course Features

  • World-renowned faculty. You will be learning from leading experts in the world who possess extensive knowledge and practical experience in the field of international law.

  • Flexible Learning. We understand that your time is valuable. That's why our course is designed to fit into your busy schedule. With 24/7 access to our online learning platform, you can study at your own pace and revisit the course materials whenever necessary. You will have 90 days of unlimited access to the course content, ensuring you have ample time to grasp the concepts and principles effectively.

  • Engaging Multimedia Content. Learning should be an immersive experience. Our course incorporates a variety of engaging multimedia elements – interactive videos, case studies, real-world scenarios, and quizzes to enhance your understanding and make the learning process enjoyable.

  • Open to all. There are no mandatory requirements to enroll in this course. Whether you are a legal professional, government official, military personnel, cyber law researcher, or simply interested in expanding your knowledge of international law and cyber operations, this course is open to all.

Course Curriculum

    1. Course Overview and Requirements

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Frequently Asked Questions

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Part 1: Learning Objectives

    2. Part 2: Jurisdiction in Cyberspace - Definition and Scope

    3. Part 3: Extending Established Jurisdictional Principles Into Cyberspace

    4. Part 4: Types of Jurisdiction

    5. Part 5: Prescriptive Jurisdiction – Territoriality Principle

    6. Part 6: Prescriptive Jurisdiction – Territoriality and the Effects Doctrine

    7. Part 7: Extraterritorial Prescriptive Jurisdiction

    8. Part 8: Enforcement Jurisdiction – Challenges in the Cyber Context

    9. Part 9: Legal Bases for Extraterritorial Enforcement Jurisdiction over Cyber Activities

    10. Part 10: Judicial Jurisdiction over Cyber Activities

    11. Part 11: Jurisdiction over Cyber Activities – Summary

    12. Test Your Knowledge

    1. Learning Objectives

    2. Fundamentals of ICL in the Cyber Context

    3. Ordinary Cyber Criminality versus International Criminal Responsibility

    4. Prosecution of International Crimes: International Criminal Court

    5. Prosecution of International Crimes: Domestic Courts

    6. Proving International Crimes Committed by Cyber Means: Evidence

    7. Modes of Liability

    8. Role of Cyber in International Crimes

    9. Genocide as a Crime Under International Law

    10. Committing or Facilitating Genocide by Cyber Means

    11. Crimes Against Humanity

    12. Commission of Crimes Against Humanity by Cyber Means

    13. War Crimes

    14. Cyber War Crimes

    15. Aggression as a Crime Under International Law

    16. Cyber Crime of Aggression

    17. Key Takeaways

    18. Test Your Knowledge

    1. Part 1: Learning Objectives

    2. Part 2: Definition of Use of Force and the Prohibition’s Applicability to Cyber Operations

    3. Part 3: Legal Bases for Lawfully Using (Cyber) Force

    4. Part 4: Cyber Operations as Uses of Force

    5. Part 5: Can Cyber Operations with Non-Physical Effects Amount to a Use of Force?

    6. Part 6: Can an Unintentional Cyber Operation Qualify as a Use of Force?

    7. Part 7: Threat of a Cyber Use of Force

    8. Test Your Knowledge

    1. Part 1: Learning Objectives

    2. Part 2: Relevance of IHL in Cyberspace

    3. Part 3: Distinguishing IHL from UN Charter Law

    4. Part 4: State Views on the Application of IHL in Cyberspace

    5. Part 5: Classification of Cyber Conflict

    6. Part 6: International Armed Conflict in Cyberspace

    7. Part 7: International Armed Conflict and Proxy Actors in Cyberspace

    8. Part 8: International Armed Conflict Involving Only Cyber Operations?

    9. Part 9: Non-International Armed Conflict in Cyberspace

    10. Test Your Knowledge

    1. Part 1: The Principle of Distinction in Cyber Warfare

    2. Part 2: Definition of Cyber Attack

    3. Part 3: Is a Non-Injurious, Non-Damaging Cyber Operation an Attack Under IHL?

    4. Part 4: Examples of Cyber Attacks Under IHL

    5. Part 5: Military Objectives in Cyberspace

    6. Part 6: Is Dual-Use Cyber Infrastructure a Military Objective?

    7. Part 7: Is Data an Object?

    8. Part 8: State Views on Data as an Object

    9. Part 9: Prohibition of Attacks Against Civilians

    10. Part 10: Persons Who Are Lawful Cyber Attack Targets

    11. Part 11: Prohibition of Indiscriminate Cyber Attacks

    12. Part 12: Prohibition of Cyber Perfidy

    13. Part 13: Proportionality

    14. Part 14: Precautions in Cyber Attack

    15. Part 15: Precautions Against the Effects of Cyber Attack

    16. Part 16: Are Cyber Capabilities "Weapons"?

    17. Test Your Knowledge

About This Course

  • 68 lessons
  • 6.5 hours of video content
  • Access for 90 days

Watch a sample lesson

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