CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Preparing an Interdisciplinary Next-Gen Cybersecurity Workforce

随着网络空间复杂性的增加，培养一支能够应对这种复杂和多方面环境挑战的网络安全队伍变得越来越重要。熟练的网络安全工作人员对于发展安全的网络空间和保持国家的全球竞争力至关重要，从而确保美国的经济活力。在美国国家科学基金会网络军团(R)服务奖学金项目的资助下，内华达大学里诺分校（UNR）的这个项目旨在教育学生掌握开发、操作、管理、维护和捍卫日益动态的网络空间所需的关键知识和技能。为此，该项目将建立在联合国大学网络安全中心下属多个学科之间的协同合作基础上。一个关键的项目成果是下一代网络安全专业人员的发展，他们可以带来跨学科的方法，将对技术，政治，法律和行为问题的关注整合到一个实用，安全和可靠的网络空间中。该项目将吸引来自不同背景的学生，特别强调招募和留住在网络安全劳动力中代表性不足的群体，如女性、第一代/低收入学生和退伍军人。通过引入多学科的学者，该项目将探索独特的方式，让学生参与跨学科的网络安全教育，维持长期的研究和教育伙伴关系，并激励学生通过公共服务来保护网络空间。学生不仅将参加UNR的正式网络安全课程，还将通过参与内华达网络靶场、内华达网络俱乐部、网络竞赛、顶点研究项目和UNR的IT和网络基础设施办公室团队，参与研究经验并获得实践技能发展。为了扩大外联活动并为招募下一代学生奠定基础，SFS学者还将被要求与项目教师团队一起参加初中/高中访问，参与学校网络俱乐部，并为他们的年轻同龄人创建研讨会。该项目将通过与UNR第一代学生服务中心、女性进入计算机科学与工程（WiCSE）学生组织和国家女性与信息技术中心（NCWIT）合作，促进网络安全劳动力中代表性不足的学生的参与。此外，该项目将通过与联合国难民署的退伍军人服务处合作，着重于招募退伍军人。该项目由网络军团(R)服务奖学金（SFS）项目支持，该项目资助建立或继续网络安全奖学金项目的提案，并与美国国家网络战略保持一致，以培养一支优秀的网络安全劳动力队伍。毕业后，奖学金获得者必须在联邦、州、地方或部落政府组织的网络安全部门工作，工作时间与奖学金支持时间相同。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

As cyberspace increases in complexity, it is becoming increasingly important to develop a cybersecurity workforce ready to address the challenges of this complex and multi-faceted environment. A skilled cybersecurity workforce is crucial to developing a secure cyberspace and maintaining the Nation's global competitiveness, thus ensuring the United States' economic vitality. With funding from the NSF CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service program this project at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) aims to educate students with the critical knowledge and skills needed to develop, operate, administer, maintain, and defend an increasingly dynamic cyberspace. Towards this end the project will build on synergistic collaboration among multiple disciplines affiliated with the UNR Cybersecurity Center. A key project outcome is the development of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals who can bring an interdisciplinary approach that integrates attention to technical, political, legal, and behavioral issues into a practical, secure, and dependable cyberspace. The project will draw on students from a host of diverse backgrounds, with particular emphasis on recruiting and retaining groups who are underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce such as women, first-generation/low-income students, and veterans.By bringing in scholars from multiple disciplines, this project will explore unique ways to engage students in interdisciplinary cybersecurity education, to sustain long-term research and education partnerships, and to motivate students to protect cyberspace through public service. Students will not only engage in UNR's formal cybersecurity curriculum, but also participate in research experiences and gain hands-on skills development through their involvement with the Nevada Cyber Range, Nevada Cyber Club, cyber competitions, a capstone research project, and UNR's Office of IT and Cyber Infrastructure team. To expand outreach activities and lay the foundation for recruiting the next generation of students, SFS scholars will also be required to participate in middle/high school visits with the project faculty team, engage with school cyber clubs, and create workshops for their younger peers. The project will promote the participation of students who are underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce by partnering with UNR's First-Generation Student Services Center, Women into Computer Science and Engineering (WiCSE) student organization, and the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). Furthermore, this project will focus on recruiting veterans by partnering with UNR's Veteran Services. This project is supported by the CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, which funds proposals establishing or continuing scholarship programs in cybersecurity and aligns with the U.S. National Cyber Strategy to develop a superior cybersecurity workforce. Following graduation, scholarship recipients are required to work in cybersecurity for a Federal, state, local, or tribal Government organization for the same duration as their scholarship support.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.