Developing an Online Cybersecurity Certificate with Stackable Credentials to Increase the Number and Expertise of Cybersecurity Technicians

开发具有可堆叠凭证的在线网络安全证书，以增加网络安全技术人员的数量和专业知识

• 批准号: 2100225
• 负责人: Mete Kok
• 金额: $ 59.58万
• 依托单位: CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2100225&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Developing; Online; Cybersecurity; Certificate; Stackable

The world now critically depends on the security of its cyberinfrastructure. For example, our nation’s critical systems depend on complex computer and telecommunications technology. This dependence includes national systems for water, banking, power (nuclear and conventional), security, and public safety. Although cybersecurity is a critical economic and national security challenge, the nation has a severe shortage of computer security specialists with the skills and knowledge needed to support cyberinfrastructure. This project aims to help meet this need by developing an Online Cybersecurity Certificate with stackable college credits to prepare cybersecurity technicians in New York City. This project is led by the Borough of Manhattan Community College, a Hispanic-serving institution in which more than 75% of the students are from communities that are not yet equitably represented in STEM or in cybersecurity fields. Thus, by providing training that can lead to high-paying, stable jobs, this project will help to mitigate the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on the communities that the College serves.The certificate program will target high school students and incumbent workers. By mapping stackable credentials, such as industry certifications or prior experiences, to credit-bearing college courses, the certificate program intends to increase timely completion. The curriculum will consist of 30 college course credits. Thus, individuals who earn the certificate will have the flexibility of entering the workforce directly or continuing their studies to earn advanced credentials including a college degree. In creating the certificate program, the project will modify current face-to-face cybersecurity courses for delivery online. By offering these courses online, the certificate program will accommodate individual schedules and travel limitations, thus enabling more individuals to participate. To help participants gain knowledge about the industry, the certificate program will include enrichment activities, such as summer bridge courses, industry certification workshops, and panel discussions with career professionals. Throughout development of the certificate program, the project team will adopt or adapt materials from ATE Cybersecurity Centers, including curricular materials and faculty development activities. In addition, by sharing the new materials developed by the project with the cybersecurity community, the project will contribute to the cybersecurity education knowledge base. The project will benefit incumbent workers who need new skills as well as high school students who want to enter information technology fields after graduation. Incumbent workers will gain valuable contacts with industry leaders through the project’s Advisory Board, while the dual enrollment certificate courses will help prepare high school students for both cybersecurity careers and college. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.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.

世界现在严重依赖其网络基础设施的安全。例如，我们国家的关键系统依赖于复杂的计算机和电信技术。这种依赖性包括水、银行、电力（核能和常规能源）、安全和公共安全的国家系统。 虽然网络安全是一个重要的经济和国家安全挑战，但美国严重缺乏具备支持网络基础设施所需技能和知识的计算机安全专家。该项目旨在通过开发具有可叠加大学学分的在线网络安全证书来帮助满足这一需求，以准备纽约市的网络安全技术人员。 该项目由曼哈顿社区学院领导，该学院是一所西班牙裔服务机构，其中超过75%的学生来自STEM或网络安全领域尚未公平代表的社区。 因此，通过提供可以带来高薪，稳定工作的培训，该项目将有助于减轻COVID-19对学院所服务的社区的不成比例的影响。证书课程将针对高中生和在职工人。通过将可堆叠的证书（如行业认证或先前的经验）映射到具有学分的大学课程，该证书计划旨在提高及时完成率。该课程将包括30个大学课程学分。 因此，获得证书的个人将有直接进入劳动力市场或继续学习以获得包括大学学位在内的高级证书的灵活性。在创建证书课程时，该项目将修改当前面对面的网络安全课程，以便在线交付。通过在线提供这些课程，证书课程将适应个人的时间表和旅行限制，从而使更多的人参与。为了帮助参与者获得有关行业的知识，证书计划将包括丰富的活动，如夏桥课程，行业认证研讨会，并与职业专业人士小组讨论。在整个证书课程的开发过程中，项目团队将采用或改编ATE网络安全中心的材料，包括课程材料和教师发展活动。 此外，通过与网络安全界分享该项目编写的新材料，该项目将为网络安全教育知识库作出贡献。该项目将使需要新技能的在职工人以及毕业后希望进入信息技术领域的高中生受益。在职员工将通过该项目的咨询委员会与行业领导者建立有价值的联系，而双招生证书课程将帮助高中生为网络安全职业和大学做好准备。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。