Excellence in Research: Teaching Problem-Solving and Deductive Skills to K-12 Students Through a Forensics Course Based on Mobile Devices

使用手机等技术的恶意和犯罪行为每天都在发生。缺乏训练有素、随时准备工作的法医分析师，他们在智能手机使用、网络犯罪和移动网络安全方面拥有熟练和知识。该项目探讨了对手机进行法医分析的组织结构，以解决使用智能手机作为工具的犯罪激增与培养熟练的分析人员以处理此类犯罪之间的差距。调查员将测试几个研究问题，以探索分离用户操作(如文件删除和修改)的模型。由此产生的流程和框架将独立于手机的型号和类型。这位调查员和高级人员还将为6-8年级的中学生实施夏令营，并将为本科生开发一门移动数字取证课程。该项目专注于增强现有的流程模型，平台独立流程模型(PIFPM)，作为分析智能手机的框架，而不考虑制造商或型号。建议进行实验，通过对比、比较操作系统、通过文件路径进行状态更改以及使用统计模型对污染程度进行分类来解决功能问题。作为杰克逊州立大学和杰克逊公立学校学区的联合努力，将开发一个移动设备取证侦探夏令营，重点放在中学6-8年级。本科生研究助理将在夏令营期间参加大学和学区之间的近距离同行指导联合项目。将在课程中为初级和高级本科生开发一门课程。评估计划包括跟踪联合州立大学计算机科学专业的学生，了解这些活动对任职人数不足的学生，特别是女性学生人数增加的影响。此外，还提供了一个逻辑模型，将投入和活动与对中学生的影响相一致。这一奖项反映了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。

Malicious and criminal acts occur every day using technologies such as mobile phones. There is a shortage of trained, workforce-ready forensics analysts who are skilled and knowledgeable of smartphone use, cybercrimes, and mobile cybersecurity. This project explores an organizing structure to conduct forensic analysis of mobile phones to address the gap between proliferation of crimes using smartphones as tools and preparation of skilled analysts to address such crimes. The investigator will test several research questions to explore models to isolate user actions such as file deletions and modifications. The resulting process and framework will be independent of model and type of phone. This investigator and senior personnel will also implement a summer camp for middle school students, grades 6- 8, and will develop a course in mobile digital forensics for undergraduate students. The project focuses on enhancing an existing process model, Platform Independent Process Model (PIFPM), as a framework for analysis of smartphones, regardless of make or model. Experiments are proposed to resolve functionality by contrast, comparing operating systems, state changes via file paths, and classifying degrees of contamination using statistical models. A Mobile Device Forensics Detective Camp will be developed as a joint effort between Jackson State University and the Jackson Public Schools district, with a focus on middle school grades 6-8. Undergraduate research assistants will participate in a Near-Peer mentoring joint program between the university and the school district during the summer camp. A course will be developed for junior- and senior-level undergraduates in the curriculum. The evaluation plan includes tracking computer science majors at JSU in terms of the impact of the activities on increases of underrepresented students, especially women. Additionally, a logical model is provided that aligns inputs and activities with impacts on middle school students? perceptions of computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering, as well as performance on selected metrics from the school system.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.