Collaborative Research: Broadening Secure Mobile Software Development (SMSD) Through Curriculum and Faculty Development

计算格局正在迅速转向移动计算，移动设备面临的安全威胁也在紧随其后。大多数安全漏洞应该在移动软件开发阶段解决；然而，许多开发专业人员没有意识到缓解安全漏洞的重要性，并且缺乏必要的安全知识和技能来在开发阶段预防安全漏洞。移动设备的普及和移动威胁的快速增长相结合，导致移动安全专业人员短缺。IT领域对安全移动应用程序开发的教育需求很大。越来越多的学校开设移动应用程序开发或相关课程。然而，关注安全移动软件开发(SMSd)的教育材料和课程仍然很少。在该项目中，塔斯基吉大学、肯纳索州立大学和伍斯特理工学院这三所在移动安全和计算机教育方面拥有合作记录和互补专业知识的大学，正在通过三个场所合作建设安全移动软件开发的研究和教育能力：(1)课程开发和增强，包括8个可转移的学习模块，包括移动编码方面的配套动手实验室；(2)机构和教师发展，包括年度现场教师暑期研讨会和在线网络研讨会；以及(3)用于现实世界Android Studio IDE的创新开源SMSd API插件。调查人员正在开发教学材料，包括8个可移植的模块和动手实验室，涵盖SMSd中的关键主题，SMSd是流行的Android Studio IDE的开源SMSd API插件，以及将这些模块集成到现有的计算机科学和信息保障课程中，如移动安全，并举办研讨会和网络研讨会，向其他机构的教师传播课程材料。通过这些努力，该项目旨在：(1)在课程设置、学生学习、教师协作和发展方面建设机构能力；(2)扩大少数族裔学生对SMSD的参与；(3)利用编写的材料的模块化性质，在全国学术界建设SMSD教育能力。

The computing landscape is rapidly moving towards mobile computing, and security threats to mobile devices are also keeping up pace. Most security vulnerabilities should be addressed in the mobile software development phase; however, many development professionals are not aware of the importance of mitigating security vulnerabilities, and lack the requisite security knowledge and skills to prevent them at the development stage. The combination of the prevalence of mobile devices and the rapid growth of mobile threats has resulted in a shortage of mobile-security professionals. Education for secure mobile application development is in big demand in IT fields. More and more schools are teaching mobile application development or related courses. However, educational materials and curricula focusing on Secure Mobile Software Development (SMSD) are still sparse. In this project, three universities with prior collaboration records and complementary expertise in mobile security and computing education: Tuskegee University, Kennesaw State University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, are collaboratively building research and education capacity in secure mobile software development through three venues: (1) curriculum development and enhancement with eight transferrable learning modules including companion hands-on labs on mobile coding; (2) institutional and faculty development with annual onsite faculty summer workshops and online webinars; and (3) an innovative open source SMSD API plugin for real world Android Studio IDE.The investigators are developing instructional materials, including eight transferable modules with hands-on labs that cover key topics in SMSD, an open source SMSD API plugin for the popular Android Studio IDE, as well as integrating the modules into existing computer science and information assurance courses such as Mobile Security, and hosting workshops and webinars to disseminate the curriculum materials to faculty at other institutions. Through these efforts, the project aims to: (1) build institutional capacity on curricula, student learning, and faculty collaboration and development; (2) broaden participation of minority students in SMSD; and (3) build the capacity in SMSD education among the academic community nationwide with the modular nature of the developed materials.