Addressing Challenges of Cybersecurity Education and Research
Disciplines
Educational Technology | Higher Education and Teaching | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Science and Mathematics Education | Secondary Education and Teaching
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Cybersecurity is a field of Computer Science that focuses on protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized personal or online attacks. It ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, especially in the face of rising cyber threats such as data breaches, phishing, and malware. With the rapid expansion of the Computer Science industry, the knowledge of cybersecurity has become even more crucial for protecting online identities and data. However, educating others on cybersecurity is often limited, since most schools, before college, avoid teaching distinguishing topics such as cybersecurity. Instead, they rely on extracurricular activities such as clubs, competitions, and camps to teach cybersecurity to high school students. This limited approach is inadequate in the current climate, so this research aims to establish and supply schools with a cybersecurity curriculum that informs students about the importance of cybersecurity and how they can use class instruction to protect themselves online. The study does this by researching databases, articles, and informational videos to gather effective vocabulary, comparisons, and data on cybersecurity. It then uses online tools to create an established curriculum from the gathered information. Then, this curriculum is split into "Units" or subtopics of cybersecurity, and an exemplar unit created is the “Digital Citizenship” unit. The Digital Citizenship Unit, specifically, informs students how to become good citizens online by following online etiquette, being respectable, and avoiding cyber threats on the Internet. Lastly, the created content composes of lectures, videos, and review activities which help students understand unfamiliar cybersecurity concepts, correlate similar ideas, and prepare for assessments. Ultimately, this study aims to use these methods to create similar units to the "Digital Citizenship" unit to spread cybersecurity understanding efficiently. By doing so, the study hopes to ensure that future generations learn how to protect themselves and others in the growing digital world.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CCSE - Information Technology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Shirley Tian
Addressing Challenges of Cybersecurity Education and Research
Cybersecurity is a field of Computer Science that focuses on protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized personal or online attacks. It ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, especially in the face of rising cyber threats such as data breaches, phishing, and malware. With the rapid expansion of the Computer Science industry, the knowledge of cybersecurity has become even more crucial for protecting online identities and data. However, educating others on cybersecurity is often limited, since most schools, before college, avoid teaching distinguishing topics such as cybersecurity. Instead, they rely on extracurricular activities such as clubs, competitions, and camps to teach cybersecurity to high school students. This limited approach is inadequate in the current climate, so this research aims to establish and supply schools with a cybersecurity curriculum that informs students about the importance of cybersecurity and how they can use class instruction to protect themselves online. The study does this by researching databases, articles, and informational videos to gather effective vocabulary, comparisons, and data on cybersecurity. It then uses online tools to create an established curriculum from the gathered information. Then, this curriculum is split into "Units" or subtopics of cybersecurity, and an exemplar unit created is the “Digital Citizenship” unit. The Digital Citizenship Unit, specifically, informs students how to become good citizens online by following online etiquette, being respectable, and avoiding cyber threats on the Internet. Lastly, the created content composes of lectures, videos, and review activities which help students understand unfamiliar cybersecurity concepts, correlate similar ideas, and prepare for assessments. Ultimately, this study aims to use these methods to create similar units to the "Digital Citizenship" unit to spread cybersecurity understanding efficiently. By doing so, the study hopes to ensure that future generations learn how to protect themselves and others in the growing digital world.