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，对国家安全构成风险。为了保护国家基础设施的这一重要部分，训练有素的劳动力是必不可少的。然而，美国估计有350万个网络安全职位空缺。为了帮助弥合劳动力缺口并保护这一国家基础设施的关键部分，该项目将开发、试点和验证针对机场和航空相关行业的技术人员级别的网络安全认证。由此产生的证书将为求职者和当前的航空技术人员提供提高网络安全技能的能力，并将有助于满足对训练有素的航空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关键航空相关资产免受网络攻击至关重要。该证书课程将以现有的网络安全课程为基础，提供航空特定内容。该项目团队将开发航空专用网络安全模块和课程，建立实践社区，提供体验式学习，并培养多元化的参与者基础。这些组成部分将共同培养一支能够保护航空资产的广泛而多样化的劳动力队伍。与Aerozone Alliance，俄亥俄州航空航天研究所和地区机场的合作伙伴关系将有助于确保课程内容满足行业需求，并培养能够满足航空重点网络安全专业人员需求的学生。项目评估将包括形成性和总结性调查，这些调查将提供反馈，以告知持续改进。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于推动国家经济的先进技术领域的技术人员的教育。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。

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.