SaTC: EDU: Improving Student Learning through Competitive Embedded System Security Challenges

计算机几乎涉及到现代生活的方方面面，从汽车和医疗保健到基础设施和国防。最近网络犯罪的上升突显出，从软件到网络，甚至是硬件本身，对计算机各个方面的网络安全专业人员的需求都在增加。需要新的课程来改进现有的计算机科学和工程课程，并为这些领域的学生提供理论和实践两方面的实践安全体验。此外，需要有效开展网络安全教育的新技术，以改善学生在这一关键领域的学习。该项目将利用低成本、开源的硬件和软件开发硬件安全实验室课程，使更多的大学能够将实践硬件安全课程整合到他们的高级本科生和研究生课程中。该课程将通过基于团队的、动手操作的实验室实验和安全挑战的高级课程，测试将基于游戏的学习融入硬件安全教育的效果。课程材料将免费提供，这项研究的结果将通过建立新的讲习班和培训研讨会以及一年一度的竞赛来广泛分享，以鼓励在这一关键领域不断改进。该项目的目标是通过动手实验室课程模块的高级课程和以团队为基础的最后一场“硬件夺旗”竞赛，研究以游戏为基础的硬件安全教育方法。该课程将适用于计算机工程专业的高年级本科生和研究生。计划中的课程模块涵盖与硬件安全相关的广泛主题，包括物理和跨层安全。选择的主题将确保尽可能多的学生可以从课程中受益，只需要“可获得的”设备(即相对便宜、开源和易于使用的设备)，并提供机会学习可转移到任何以硬件为重点的职业生涯的实用技能。游戏化对学生学习的影响将通过将游戏机制和竞赛整合到选定的实验室中来测试，包括争分夺秒、积分/排行榜系统、红队/蓝队以及协作分析和学习。通过将基于游戏的学习整合到拟议的课程中，该项目将研究硬件教育的新方法，重点是安全性，这些方法可以在其他计算机科学和工程系复制，以促进学生的参与和学习。这个项目得到了安全和值得信赖的网络空间(SATC)计划的支持，该计划为解决网络安全和隐私问题的提案提供资金，在这种情况下，特别是网络安全教育。SATC计划与联邦网络安全研究和发展战略计划和国家隐私研究战略保持一致，以保护和维护网络系统日益增长的社会和经济效益，同时确保安全和隐私。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Computers touch on nearly every aspect of modern life, from automotive and healthcare, to infrastructure and defense. The recent uptick in cybercrime highlights the increased demand for cybersecurity professionals for all aspects of computing - from software, to networking, and even the hardware itself. New courses are needed to improve existing computer science and engineering programs and provide both theoretical and practical, hands-on security experiences for students in these fields. In addition, new techniques for effective cybersecurity education are needed to improve student learning in this crucial area. This project will develop a hardware security lab course leveraging low-cost, open-source hardware and software, to enable more universities to integrate a hands-on hardware security course into their advanced undergraduate and graduate programs. The course will be used to test the effect of integrating game-based learning into hardware security education through an advanced curriculum of team-based, hands-on laboratory experiments and security challenges. Course materials will be made freely available, and results of this research will be shared widely by establishing new workshops and training seminars, and an annual competition to encourage continuous improvement in this critical area. The objective of this project is to investigate a game-based approach to hardware security education through an advanced curriculum of hands-on laboratory course modules and a final team-based “Hardware Capture the Flag” competition. The curriculum will be suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students in computer engineering. The planned course modules cover a wide-range of topics related to hardware security, including physical and cross-layer security. Topics will be chosen to ensure that the largest possible number of students can benefit from the course by requiring only “accessible” equipment (i.e., relatively inexpensive, open-source, and easy to use) and providing an opportunity to learn practical skills that are transferable to any hardware-focused career. The impact of gamification on student learning will be tested by integrating game mechanics and competitions into selected labs, including race-against-the-clock, point scoring / leaderboard systems, red team / blue team, and collaborative analysis and learning. By integrating game-based learning in the proposed course, the project will investigate novel approaches to hardware education with a focus on security that can be replicated in other computer science and engineering departments to bolster student engagement and learning. This project is supported by the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC) program, which funds proposals that address cybersecurity and privacy, and in this case specifically cybersecurity education. The SaTC program aligns with the Federal Cybersecurity Research and Development Strategic Plan and the National Privacy Research Strategy to protect and preserve the growing social and economic benefits of cyber systems while ensuring security and privacy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.