IS 482 Legal Responsibilities in Information Technology

Online weekly

Karen Heart, JD, MS, Instructor
kheart@depaul.edu (best way to reach me!)

(312)362-1469

with Anthony Volini, JD

Syllabus

Summary of the course

This course examines the legal standards to which people and organizations are held under laws and regulations that concern computing and information technology. This course is a complement to CNS 477, which focuses on governance policies and business costs. Topics include government and laws, business regulations, healthcare regulations, education regulations, data breach reporting and notification, privacy laws, laws of search and seizure, freedom of speech and association, defamation, cyber crimes, contracts, and intellectual property.

Textbooks and printed resources

No textbooks are required for this course. Instead, you will be referred to numerous online resources in the assignments.

Prerequisites

None

Office Hours

I will be in my office, CDM 838, during office hours, which are posted on Bluestar. You can show up during office hours without an appointment.

Exercises and Grading

Overview

This course focuses on the laws that affect Information Technology infrastructure. Each week, you will be expected to read ahead of the lecture and answer some simple questions as your participation in the class. Additionally, there will be a Midterm and a Final Exam.

Sec. 1. Weekly participation

Sec. 2. Exams

Sec. 3. How your grade for the course is calculated

Weekly participation (regular) 56 points
Weekly participation (extra credit) 7 points
Midterm exam 22 points
Final exam 22 points

Policy on Working Together

Each student is expected to turn in original work for the weekly participation and exams. Copying content from another person is considered a serious violation of the university's academic integrity policy (see below).

Course Schedule

Week Topics
1 US legal system
2 Intellectual Property
3 Contracts
4 Privacy and confidentiality
5 Regulation: GLBA, HIPAA, controls
6 Regulation: SOX, FTC, HIPAA (cont.), DNS
7 FISMA, FERPA, CAN-SPAM
8 Net Neutrality, Cybersecurity law practice
9 Data breach notification, Inciting violence, CFAA
10 Data breach caselaw, Invasion of privacy, PCI DSS, Defamation, Select Illinois crimes
  Final Exam

Attendance

N/A

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/. If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at: http://cdm.depaul.edu/enrollment.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential. To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at: csd@depaul.edu.
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

School Policies

Policies of the school are explained on the webpage for this course on my.cdm.depaul.edu.