Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Pathway for Aviation Industries

机场和航空相关行业容易受到网络安全攻击，对国家安全和安保构成风险。要保护这一国家基础设施的关键部分，训练有素的劳动力是必不可少的。然而，据估计，美国有350万个网络安全职位空缺。为了帮助弥补劳动力缺口并确保国家基础设施的这一关键部分的安全，该项目将开发、试点和验证技术员级别的网络安全认证，该认证是为机场和航空相关行业量身定做的。由此产生的证书将使求职者和目前的航空技术人员能够提高他们的网络安全技能，并将有助于满足对训练有素、专注于航空的网络安全工作人员的需求。这支队伍对于确保国家机场和其他与航空相关的关键资产免受网络攻击至关重要。证书计划将建立在现有网络安全课程的基础上，包含航空相关内容。项目组将开发专门针对航空的网络安全模块和课程，建立实践社区，提供体验式学习，并培养不同的参与者基础。这些构成部分将共同培养一支能够保护航空资产的广泛和多样化的劳动力队伍。与航空区联盟、俄亥俄航空航天研究所和支线机场的合作将有助于确保课程内容满足行业需求，并培养出能够满足以航空为重点的网络安全专业人员的需求的学生。项目评估将包括形成性和总结性询问，这些询问将提供反馈，为持续改进提供信息。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注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优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Airports and aviation-related industries are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks, posing risks to the safety and security of the nation. To protect this critical piece of the national infrastructure, a well-trained workforce is essential. However, an estimated 3.5 million cybersecurity positions are unfilled in the United States. To help bridge the workforce gap and secure this critical piece of the national infrastructure, this project will develop, pilot, and validate a technician-level cybersecurity certification, tailored to airports and aviation-related industries. The resulting certificate will provide job seekers and current aviation technicians with the ability to advance their cybersecurity skills and will help to address the need for a well-trained aviation focused cybersecurity workforce. This workforce is essential to ensure that the nation’s airports and other critical aviation-related assets are protected from cyberattacks.The certificate program will build upon existing cybersecurity coursework with aviation-specific content. The project team will develop aviation-specific cybersecurity modules and courses, establish a community of practice, provide experiential learning, and foster a diverse participant base. Together these components will foster a broad and diverse workforce capable of safeguarding aviation assets. Partnerships with Aerozone Alliance, Ohio Aerospace Institute, and regional airports, will help to ensure that program content addresses industry needs and produces students capable of filling the need for aviation focused cybersecurity professionals. Project evaluation will include formative and summative inquiries that will provide feedback to inform continuous improvement. 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.