Building Cybersecurity Workforce and Capacity through Enhancing Defending Skill Sets

德克萨斯理工大学(TTU)与桑迪亚国家实验室(SNL)合作的“通过提高防御技能集建设网络安全劳动力和能力”项目将调查安全专业人员和专家使用的攻击/防御策略。该项目将确定的技能集将被纳入教学模块和材料，为学生和专业人员提供防御网络攻击所需的技能。这个研究项目将介绍一个模拟的网络战场，其中将包括真实的挑战、场景和战略。这一真实且引人入胜的学习平台将允许教师使用基于现实场景的方法向学生讲授网络安全的基本和高级主题。网络安全攻击和防御场景将被整合到本科课程中，支持学生的学习，并将增强安全相关概念和网络防御技术的教学有效性。TTU和SNL以通过创新和先进的教育计划接触到服务不足的少数群体而闻名。该项目将包括四项主要活动：(1)进行一系列任务分析以确定网络安全专业人员所使用的技能，(2)根据任务分析开发一套教学模块和材料，(3)设计和提供专门为本科生量身定做的情景和竞争工作坊，(4)为来自高校的教师和教育工作者提供为期两天的暑期研讨会，旨在扩大影响。三个具有互补专门知识的不同部门之间的协作将使研究人员能够利用和分享资源和专门知识，从而编制以网络安全最佳做法为基础的课程材料。

The "Building Cybersecurity Workforce and Capacity through Enhancing Defending Skill Sets" project at Texas Tech University (TTU), in partnership with the Sandia National Lab (SNL), will investigate attacking/defending strategies employed by security professionals and experts. The skillsets that will be identified by this project will be incorporated into instructional modules and materials that will provide students and professionals with the skills required to defend against cyberattacks. This research project will introduce a simulated cyber battlefield that will consist of authentic challenges, scenarios, and strategies. This authentic and engaging learning platform will allow instructors to teach the basic and advanced topics of cybersecurity to students using a realistic scenario-based approach. The cybersecurity attack and defend scenarios will be integrated into an undergraduate course curriculum that will support student learning and will enhance the effectiveness of teaching security related concepts and cyber defense techniques. TTU and SNL have a demonstrated reputation of reaching underserved minority populations with innovative and advanced educational programs.The project will consist of four major activities: (1) Conduct a set of task analyses to determine the skillsets the cybersecurity professionals employ, (2) Develop a set of instructional modules and materials based on the task analysis, (3) Design and offer scenario and competition-based workshops specifically tailored for undergraduate students, (4) Offer a two-day summer workshop for teachers and educators from colleges and universities with the aim of broadening the impacts. The collaboration between three different departments with complementary expertise will allow researchers to utilize and share resources and expertise resulting in the development of curricular materials that will be based on best practices in cybersecurity.