Implementing Game-Based Learning to Enhance Training for Cybersecurity Technicians and Recruit a Diverse Cybersecurity Workforce

该项目旨在通过培养更多合格的技术人员来满足网络安全方面的劳动力需求，从而为国家利益服务。保持计算机和信息系统的安全是企业、工业和政府的一项关键需求和重大挑战。网络威胁的增长创造了对更多拥有知识和技能的工人的需求，以保护现有和新兴技术。事实证明，挑战、竞赛、游戏、谜题和类似的高度互动和团队导向的活动的使用是激发学生对网络安全的兴趣并提高他们对网络安全概念的理解的有效手段。这些工具可以补充传统的教学方法，有时可以吸引传统方法无法吸引的学生。在这个项目中，来自Sinclair社区学院和Moraine Valley社区学院的教育工作者将改进，测试和传播一个名为“Sticker Heist”的动手，动脑学习游戏，在这个游戏中，学生团队解决网络安全难题，完成打开一个上锁的盒子取回“贴纸”的共同任务。“这个任务是由一个身临其境的故事，定位在不同的时间和身份的球员支持。这个网络安全模拟策略类游戏鼓励团队合作、沟通和领导力，同时教授网络安全课程中的原则和技能。角色扮演和模拟游戏，特别是像“贴纸抢劫”这样的逃脱游戏，广泛吸引了不同年龄，教育背景，种族和性别的人，并可用于让所有年龄段的人接触新的职业领域，特别是网络安全和其他STEM领域。该项目中的学习活动将提高学生的参与度，促进学习成果，通过鼓励参与者想象自己从事网络安全职业来支持网络安全专业的招聘，并满足吸引更多来自代表性不足人群的学生加入网络安全劳动力队伍的迫切需要。“贴纸抢劫”是一个动手学习游戏，包括一个独立的，便携式安全系统保护一个上锁的笔记本电脑贴纸盒。内部盒子是一个简单的上锁的容器，里面有一些与Defcon，黑客事件等有关的笔记本电脑贴纸，通常是爱好者的收藏品周围的盒子包含保护第一个的系统-目前是Raspberry Pi 4，Arduino Uno，网络和其他组件（RFID，键盘，蜂鸣器，灯）。然而，这个盒子并不是100%安全的;它内置了几个常见的安全缺陷和漏洞。这使得高中生和大学生团队可以一起收集系统上的信息（侦察），然后使用免费的开源工具来暴露和利用安全漏洞来访问系统，打开盒子并收集奖品。在这个挑战中，学生们作为一个团队一起工作，批判性和创造性地思考，同时学习网络安全的基础知识。在该项目中，调查人员将追求四个相关目标。首先，是完善“贴纸抢劫”学习工具，确保其符合国家网络安全教育倡议（NICE）网络安全劳动力框架以及行业认可的网络安全证书。其次，是提供专业发展培训的工具，以高中和大学教师，使他们能够有效地实施该工具在他们的课堂上。第三，通过演示、招聘活动和俱乐部，推广使用该工具，吸引代表性不足的学生参与网络安全。第四，也是最后一点，是评估该工具在提高参与度和吸引更广泛、更多样化的学生从事网络安全职业方面的有效性。该项目由先进技术教育（ATE）计划资助，该计划的重点是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。

This project aims to serve the national interest by producing more qualified technicians to meet workforce demands in cybersecurity. Keeping computers and information systems secure is a critical need and a major challenge in business, industry, and government. The growth of cyber-threats has created a need for many more workers who have the knowledge and skills to protect both existing and emerging technologies. The use of challenges, competitions, games, puzzles, and similar highly interactive and team-oriented activities has proved to be an effective means of exciting students about cybersecurity and improving their understanding of cybersecurity concepts. These tools can supplement traditional pedagogical approaches, and they can sometimes engage students that the traditional approaches do not. In this project, educators from Sinclair Community College and Moraine Valley Community College will refine, test, and disseminate a hands-on, minds-on learning game called "Sticker Heist," in which teams of students solve cybersecurity puzzles to complete the shared quest of opening a locked box to retrieve "stickers." This quest is supported by an immersive story that locates the players in an alternate time and identity. This cybersecurity simulation game encourages teamwork, communication, and leadership while it teaches principles and skills in the cybersecurity curriculum. Role-playing and simulation games, especially escape games like "Sticker Heist," are broadly appealing to people of various ages, educational backgrounds, races, and genders and can be used to expose people of all ages to new career fields, especially cybersecurity and other areas of STEM. The learning activities in this project will increase students' engagement, promote learning outcomes, support recruitment into the cybersecurity profession by encouraging participants to picture themselves in a cybersecurity career, and address the critical need to attract more students from underrepresented populations into the cybersecurity workforce."Sticker Heist" is a hands-on learning game that consists of a self-contained, portable security system protecting a locked box of laptop stickers. The interior box is a simple, locked container containing a number of laptop stickers related to Defcon, hacking events, etc., which are often collectibles to enthusiasts. The surrounding box contains the systems that secure the first -- currently a Raspberry Pi 4, Arduino Uno, network, and other components (RFID, keypad, buzzer, lights). However, the box is not 100% secure; several common security flaws and vulnerabilities have been built in. This allows teams of high school and college students to work together to gather information (reconnaissance) on the system and then use free, open-source tools to expose and exploit the security flaws to access the system, open the box, and collect the prize. In this challenge, students work together as a team and think critically and creatively while learning the basics of cybersecurity. In the project, the investigators will pursue four related goals. First, is to refine the "Sticker Heist" learning tool, ensuring its alignment with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework as well as industry-recognized cybersecurity credentials. Second, is to deliver professional development training on the tool to high school and college faculty so that they can effectively implement the tool in their classrooms. Third, is to promote use of the tool as a means to attract underrepresented students into cybersecurity through demonstrations, recruitment events, and clubs. Fourth, and finally, is to assess the effectiveness of the tool for improving engagement and attracting a broader and more diverse population of students to cybersecurity careers. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program, which 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.