We are excited to open applications for our new online course Foundations of Cybersecurity and AI. The course offers a live, twelve-week introduction to the key ideas, actors, and challenges at the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

This selective course combines rigorous academic foundations with real-world insight. Students will learn not only how systems are protected and attacked, but also how AI is transforming both sides of this equation – from automated vulnerability discovery and attack simulation to enhanced detection and defense. Through case studies, discussion, and practical examples, participants will examine ransomware, spyware, hacktivism, and state operations, as well as new policy and regulatory frameworks emerging across Europe and beyond.

The course is taught by leading experts from academia, government, and industry, including Ciaran Martin (Professor of Practice, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford), Gabriella Coleman (Professor of Anthropology, Harvard University), Andrew Martin (Professor of Systems Security, University of Oxford), Max Smeets (Co-Director, Virtual Routes; Senior Researcher, ETH Zurich), James Shires (Co-Director, Virtual Routes), Paul Timmers (Visiting Professor, KU Leuven; former Director at the European Commission), and Monica Kello (Lecturer in War Studies and Co-Director of the Cyber Security Research Group, King’s College London). Each week, participants engage directly with instructors and guest speakers, review recent incidents, and debate policy responses.

Course Overview

This course introduces the essential concepts at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. It explains how systems are protected and attacked, how AI tools are used in both defence and offence, and how governments and companies are responding to emerging threats. Through real-world examples, expert insights, and guided discussion, students will learn about ransomware, spyware, hacktivism, attribution, and the AI supply chain, and explore how regulation and policy are evolving.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the core concepts of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
• Identify major threats, actors, and operations in the cyber domain.
• Assess how AI is used to defend and attack systems.
• Analyze the policy and ethical implications of AI–cybersecurity interactions.

Our aim is to move past the headlines and give students a clear view of how AI and cybersecurity interact in practice—and what this means for organisations and policymakers.

The Foundations of Cybersecurity and AI course is selective and open to a limited number of students. The course costs €299 to join, with free enrolment available to Dutch students through the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program. Read more and apply here.