This research presentation explores the value of cybersecurity competitions in cyber defense education and its impact on the cybersecurity industry and workforce development. Competitions are considered active and challenge based learning that can be used as effective pedagogies to improve student interest, motivation, and problem solving in education. For cyber defense education quality assurance, student participation in cyber competitions is one of the criteria required for the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense designation by the National Security Agency.

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The popularity of the CAE-CD Community of Practice “Meet your Competitions” events has led to a new collaborative space for faculty to contribute to CAE efforts related to competitions. All faculty and POCs are welcome to join us as we explore the future of evidencing competencies within competitions, mapping linkages between competitions, helping faculty prepare students for competitions, competition badging and credentialing, building competitions experiences into courses and programs, and other topics of interest.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world, and education and cybersecurity are no exception. AI is used to develop new tools and techniques for securing networks, improving risk management, and addressing new threats, and it can be used to enhance classroom instruction and assessments. While AI can be intimidating, it has a valuable place where our students are headed when they transition to the workplace.

In this talk, we will present an overview of three projects stemming from our NSF-funded effort on engaged pedagogy for advanced cybersecurity education (NSF-DGE #1947295), namely: (i) DISSAV: Dynamic Interactive Stack Smashing Attack Visualization, a program visualization tool for teaching stack smashing attacks. DISSAV is a web-based application built with ReactJS; DISSAV provides a simulated attack scenario that guides the user through a three-part stack smashing attack.

PACE (Pathway to Advancement in Cybersecurity Education) is a guided Cybersecurity pathway that introduces dual enrollment college courses as early as 9th grade with multiple educational and employment exit points. PACE was funded for the last three years by a grant from the NSF-ATE. In this presentation we will summarize PACE outcomes and identify best practices for establishing a strong pathway program.  

The Jumpstart Program brings together a large local employer and the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) to enhance employment opportunities for both CSN and local high school students. It also assists the employer to meet the hiring needs in hard-to-find technical areas. Students that are part of the program that finish the required six (6) courses are guaranteed a job interview with the employer. This type of program has been successful with one program/employer and is now being expanded to additional programs and employers.

THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES the problem of securing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) swarm missions. GOALS: G1. Establish secure and resilient underwater communications channels for AUV by using underwater mobile ad hoc networks (uMANET). G2. Determine what formations or behaviors the swarm should adopt for a given mission, and design communication protocols that effectively maintain the swarm in the desired formation. G3.

Cybersecurity student development programs are initiatives designed to help students in higher learning institutions develop the skills and competencies necessary to succeed academically, professionally, and personally. These programs aim to provide students with opportunities to engage in activities and experiences that foster growth and development inside and outside the classroom. The goal is to help students become well-rounded individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the challenges of college and the world beyond.

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is becoming an integral part of the cybersecurity ecosystem, with its emphasis on supply chain security. Undergraduate students may benefit from being introduced to the CMMC model early in their cybersecurity training. This presentation will explore what CMMC is, the United States government foundation for this certification, and how best to present this to undergraduate students.