Preparing students for cybersecurity professions using real-world experiences

网络安全对保护计算机系统和网络至关重要。许多企业和组织需要雇佣网络安全专家来保护他们的网络基础设施免受持续和日益复杂的网络攻击。尽管全球网络安全技能短缺的情况有所缓解，但劳动力规模仍比所需水平低65%。该项目将研究如何通过将网络安全竞赛和就业准备模块整合到现有课程中，并为学生提供将课程中学到的网络安全技能应用到现实环境中的机会，从而实现从课堂到网络安全劳动力的无缝连续性。该项目利用与信息技术灾害资源中心（ITDRC）的伙伴关系，为学生提供加入ITDRC的机会，并参与具体的灾害前期规划活动和潜在的灾难恢复工作。ITDRC是一个在奥兰治县设有办事处的全国性非营利实体。该项目将通过将与灾难响应和事件指挥结构相关的联邦应急管理局课程整合到现有课程中，创建一个符合关键业务和联邦要求的事件响应网络安全计划。将课程映射到联邦标准将有助于圣安娜学院成为网络防御学术卓越中心（CAE-CD）。学生将参加严格的就业准备和以工作为基础的学习，通过与坚定的行业和社区合作伙伴建立伙伴关系，从而实现就业。项目评估将包括对定量和定性数据的分析，以提供对项目实施的结构化审查，以确保项目按计划进行，并分析项目目标、指标和目标的实现程度。该项目有可能提高IT网络安全运营理学副学士学位的入学率、保留率和完成率，特别是在网络安全劳动力中代表性不足的群体中。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。

Cybersecurity is critical to the protection of computer systems and networks. Many businesses and organizations need to hire cybersecurity professionals to protect their cyberinfrastructure from persistent and increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. Although the global cybersecurity skills shortage has fallen, the size of the workforce is still 65% below what it needs to be. This project will study how to create seamless continuity from the classroom to the cybersecurity workforce by integrating cybersecurity competitions and job-readiness modules into existing coursework and providing opportunities for students to apply cybersecurity skills learned in their courses in real-world settings. The project leverages a partnership with the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), a national non-profit entity with a presence in Orange County, to provide students with the opportunity to join the ITDRC and be involved with specific disaster pre-planning activities and potential disaster recovery efforts. The project will create an incident response cybersecurity program aligned with critical business and federal requirements by integrating FEMA courses related to disaster response and incident command structure into existing coursework. Mapping the curriculum to federal standards will help position Santa Ana College to become a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD). Students will take part in in rigorous job-readiness and work-based learning that will result in employment through partnerships with committed industry and community partners. Project evaluation will consist of an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data to provide a structured review of program implementation to ensure that the project is progressing as planned and to analyze the level of attainment of project objectives, targets, and goals. This project has the potential to increase program enrollment, retention, and completion of an Associate of Science Degree in IT Cybersecurity Operations, especially among students from populations underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce. 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.