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

计算领域正迅速向移动计算方向发展，移动设备面临的安全威胁也在不断增加。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减轻安全漏洞的重要性，并且缺乏必要的安全知识和技能来在开发阶段防止它们。移动设备的普及和移动威胁的快速增长导致了移动安全专业人员的短缺。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开发或相关课程。然而，专注于安全移动软件开发（SMSD）的教育材料和课程仍然很少。在这个项目中，塔斯基吉大学、肯尼索州立大学和伍斯特理工学院这三所在移动安全和计算教育方面有着合作记录和互补专业知识的大学，正在通过三个方面合作建立安全移动软件开发的研究和教育能力：(1)通过八个可转移学习模块开发和增强课程，包括移动编码的同伴动手实验室；(2)通过每年一次的现场教师暑期研讨会和在线网络研讨会来促进机构和教师的发展；(3)一个创新的开源SMSD API插件，用于现实世界的Android Studio IDE。研究人员正在开发教学材料，包括8个可转移的模块和实践实验，涵盖SMSD的关键主题，一个开源的SMSD API插件，用于流行的Android Studio IDE，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)建立课程、学生学习和教师合作与发展方面的机构能力；(2)扩大少数族裔学生在SMSD的参与；(3)利用开发材料的模块化特性，在全国学术界建立SMSD教育的能力。

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.