Cyber Security Education Consortium (CSEC): Reversing the Outsourcing Tide in Mission-Critical Disciplines

2004年，俄克拉荷马州信息保障和取证教育中心（后来更名为网络安全教育联盟（CSEC））成立，作为ATE区域网络安全教育中心（NSF奖号0355246），服务于俄克拉荷马州和周边各州。 经过四年的成功运作，目前的赠款更新中心的第二阶段，从商业和工业，政府机构，执法，军队和情报界的广泛支持下，CSEC正在创造一个高科技劳动力在俄克拉荷马州，阿肯色州，科罗拉多，堪萨斯，路易斯安那州，密苏里州，田纳西州和得克萨斯州。 目标是为这个生活质量好、成本低的八个州的地区带来就业机会，并扭转外包和离岸外包的浪潮，因为外包和离岸外包已经将许多专业化的高科技工作和设施送到了海外。 该中心正在19个大都市地区实施高质量的网络安全教育计划（31所教育机构），其中包括该国50个最大城市中的8个（达拉斯、圣路易斯、丹佛、圣安东尼奥、堪萨斯城、纳什维尔、孟菲斯和俄克拉荷马州市）和其他11个中等城市（塔尔萨、诺克斯维尔、小石城、科罗拉多斯普林斯、威奇托、什里夫波特、查塔努加、费耶特维尔[AR]、斯普林菲尔德[MO]、史密斯堡[AR]和托皮卡）。CSEC是技术中心、社区学院、以及塔尔萨大学，这是美国国家安全局首屈一指的信息保障教育卓越中心之一，它是其他机构的导师。 该中心为大学生提供课程，证书课程和学位课程，并为教师提供专业发展。 此外，该中心还为过渡期成年人和高中生提供教育和培训机会。 衔接协议为学生提供无缝的教育途径，使他们能够从副学士学位课程转向学士学位课程，再到硕士和博士课程。 该中心的教师发展计划采用了一种有效的“培训培训员”模式，在该中心的头四年中培训了105名教员。 教师可以在塔尔萨大学获得为期一年的居住计划，在那里他们接受强化培训，并可以攻读硕士或博士学位;为期25天的证书课程，为教师准备在五个核心网络安全领域中的每一个领域教授课程;在全国各地提供的多日研讨会;对儿童的商业性剥削机构实施全面的、国家认可的网络安全课程，涵盖五个核心领域：信息保障、安全电子商务、网络安全、企业安全管理和数字取证。 该课程融合了理论与实践，法律的和道德问题，以及一个激烈的实验室组成部分。 它被纳入学位和证书课程，并映射到行业（思科，微软），供应商中立（安全+，SCNP/SCNA）和联邦（CNSS 4011-16）认证。该中心第二阶段的主要重点是在安全编码，自动化和控制系统以及移动的通信设备等战略领域创建课程-这些领域对专家的需求已经出现。 这三个专业课程都包括基础课程、一个或多个高级课程和一个顶点课程，最终学生（包括在职工人）获得技术领域的认证。该中心的第二阶段组织重点是在八个州的每个主要城市建立“卓越中心”。 这些中心专注于由当地行业需求驱动的课程领域（例如安全编码、自动化和控制系统或移动的通信设备），并作为其重点领域的教育、培训和外展活动的中心，促进就业机会的创造和经济发展。

In 2004, the Oklahoma Center for Information Assurance and Forensics Education, which was subsequently renamed the Cyber Security Education Consortium (CSEC), was established as an ATE regional center for cybersecurity education (NSF Award No. 0355246) serving the state of Oklahoma and sections of surrounding states. Following four successful years of operation, the current grant renews the center for a second phase.With broad support from business and industry, government agencies, law enforcement, the military, and the intelligence community, CSEC is creating a high-tech workforce in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. The goal is to bring jobs to this eight-state region, where the quality of life is good and costs are low, and to reverse the tide of outsourcing and offshoring that has sent so many specialized high-tech jobs and facilities overseas. The center is implementing high-quality cybersecurity education programs in 19 metropolitan areas (31 educational institutions), which comprise eight of the 50 largest cities in the country (Dallas, St. Louis, Denver, San Antonio, Kansas City, Nashville, Memphis, and Oklahoma City) and 11 other mid-sized cities (Tulsa, Knoxville, Little Rock, Colorado Springs, Wichita, Shreveport, Chattanooga, Fayetteville [AR], Springfield [MO], Fort Smith [AR], and Topeka).CSEC is a cohesive partnership of technology centers, community colleges, and the University of Tulsa, one of the premier NSA Centers of Excellence for Information Assurance Education, which serves as a mentor to the other institutions. The center offers courses, certificate programs, and degree programs for college students and professional development for faculty members. In addition, the center provides education and training opportunities to transitional adults and high school students. Articulation agreements provide students with seamless educational pathways, allowing them to move from associate degree programs to bachelor's degree programs to master's and doctoral programs. The center's faculty development initiative incorporates an effective "train the trainer" model, which trained 105 instructors during the center's first four years. Faculty have access to a year-long residency program at the University of Tulsa, in which they receive intensive training and may pursue MS or PhD studies; a 25-day certificate program, which prepares instructors to teach courses in each of five core cybersecurity areas; multi-day workshops offered at locations around the country; and quarterly curriculum working group meetings.CSEC institutions implement a comprehensive, nationally recognized cybersecurity curriculum covering five core areas: information assurance, secure electronic commerce, network security, enterprise security management, and digital forensics. The curriculum blends theory and practice, legal and ethical issues, and an intense laboratory component. It is incorporated in degree and certificate programs and maps to industry (Cisco, Microsoft), vendor-neutral (Security+, SCNP/SCNA), and federal (CNSS 4011-16) certifications.A major focus in the center's second phase is the creation of curricula in the strategic areas of secure coding, automation and control systems, and mobile communications devices--areas in which a significant demand for experts has emerged. Each of these three specialized curricula involves a foundational course, one or more advanced courses, and a capstone course, which culminates in students (including incumbent workers) receiving a certification in the technical area.An organizational focus of the center's second phase is the creation of "centers of excellence" in every major city in the eight-state region. These centers focus on a curricular area (such as secure coding, automation and control systems, or mobile communications devices) driven by local industry needs, and serve as hubs for education, training, and outreach activities in their focus area, catalyzing job creation and economic development.