Cybersecurity and Privacy in the Age of AI: Protecting At-Risk Populations

Catalog description

This seminar explores the unique cybersecurity and privacy challenges faced by at-risk populations (e.g., teens, survivors of interpersonal violence, and older adults), with a particular focus on how AI chatbots and agentic systems introduce new risks concerning autonomy, consent, and accountability. Students will study the technical foundations of cybersecurity and privacy, and evaluate the ways in which these approaches often fail to provide comprehensive safety for vulnerable users. Combining theoretical inquiry with practical application, the course covers inclusive design principles in cybersecurity and privacy, threat models for at-risk populations, and broader social and ethical implications. It further considers strategies for integrating inclusivity into cybersecurity research, public policy, and system design. Through readings, guest lectures, case studies, and collaborative projects, students will develop the skills needed to incorporate the perspectives and needs of at-risk users into research and design.