NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | July 2, 2012 |
Latest Amendment Date: | July 2, 2012 |
Award Number: | 1204904 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
R. Corby Hovis
chovis@nsf.gov (703)292-4625 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
Start Date: | July 1, 2012 |
End Date: | September 30, 2015(Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $200,000.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $200,000.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
2425 CAMPUS RD SINCLAIR RM 1 HONOLULU HI US 96822-2247 (808)956-7800 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
310 W. Kaahumanu Avenue Kahului HI US 96732-1617 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
Primary Program Source: |
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Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
This project is developing a set of information security and assurance (IA) courses, using an interactive, hands-on approach, to prepare high school and undergraduate students for workforce opportunities. The curriculum is being structured in modular formats, using project-based learning (PBL) scenarios, which are being adapted to different target groups, including high school and college students, as well as high school teachers and college faculty teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula.
Intellectual Merit: The project aims to provide opportunities for high school and undergraduate students to get first hand exposure, practical knowledge and understanding of the concepts of information security and assurance by creating a creating a practical, effective, and engaging curriculum for teaching cybersecurity and information assurance to high school and undergraduate students. The implementation plan involves multiple course offerings, cyber camps, and research projects designed to increase the knowledge, skills, and awareness of high school and undergraduate students in the emerging field of information security and assurance. It builds on activities such as the Cyber Patriot program of the US Air Force and the Digital Forensics Challenge 2011, managed by the US Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3).
The specific objectives of the project are to:
(a) develop and implement modular course materials and educational resources on cybersecurity,
(b) offer high school and undergraduate students cybersecurity camps and cyber career planning activities,
(c) provide research opportunities for undergraduate students and a Certificate of Completion for students who complete a series of online courses related to information security, and
(d) establish a career pathway for students who wish to become entrepreneurs with expertise in information security.
Broader Impact: The need for a curriculum on information security and assurance is critical to the success of business leaders of tomorrow because information security practices, policies and technologies are prevalent in every industry and organization. The threat to corporate data, equipment, and resources is increasing with the proliferation of global cyber criminals and malicious software. This understanding and expertise can help launch new careers in cybersecurity and information assurance. In addition, the program is being developed with specific groups in mind who are traditionally ignored by cybersecurity training programs, including women, minorities, and small-business owners. Training modules are being disseminated online to the community for general education and learning at www.soihub.org. Formal assessments of the course modules and all aspects of the work provide a foundation for global adoption.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The overall goal of Cyber Security Education, Curriculum, and Workforce Development project at the University of Hawaii Maui College (UHMC) was to train high school students, undergraduate students and local technology workers in cybersecurity and information assurance with a focus on small and medium-sized businesses.
As an outcome of this project, several cybersecurity courses were developed and published in the University of Hawaii Maui College 2015-2016 Catalog.
They included the following:
- Introduction to Information Security - ICS 169
- Introduction to Networking - ICS 184
- Computer Security - ICS 171
- Ethical Hacking - ICS 281
- Digital Forensics - ICS 282
As a direct benefit of the NSF ATE program, UHMC launched its first certificate in cybersecurity starting Fall 2015. The UHMC Curriculum Committee, Senate and Chancellor approved this certificate in Fall 2014. This Certificate will be taught entirely online and will utilize resources from NSF Projects such as RAVE.
The NSF grant supported the work of four undergraduate students from fall 2012 through summer 2015. The PI and members of the IT staff at UHMC supervised the undergraduate students. Projects included a diversity of cybersecurity case studies and concerns within the college.
- Tier 1 Helpdesk focused on basic cybersecurity issues, education and concerns
- Tier 2 (Escalated) Helpdesk focused on specific cybersecurity issues such a malware removal
- Cyber projects in the college Finance and Personnel Office to root out PII and other sensitive info
- Cyber projects in the college IT department to secure the college network for intrusion detection
- Cyber projects with local high schools to mentor students for competitions such as CyberPatriot
The following positive outcomes were the direct result of the NSF ATE project.
- Increased enrollment in cybersecurity courses at UHMC (from 10 in 2012 to 30 in 2015)
- Increased participation from local high schools in cybersecurity competitions, such as CyberPatriot - from 2 in 2012 to 5 in 2015-16
- Increase in the number of undergraduate students engaged in research - from 0 in 2012 to 4 in 2015
- Increase in the list of approved cybersecurity courses in the UHMC course catalog - from 0 in 2012 to 5 in 2015-16
- Launch of a new Certificate in Competency in Cybersecurity, starting Fall 2015. No existing certificate at UHMC, prior to this, focused on cybersecurity.
The project provided various opportunities for training and professional development. These include:
- On the job training for 4 undergraduate students during the course of their research projects
- One day workshop and subsequent 7 weeks of online training for 25 HS teachers - Spring 2015
- 7 weeks of online training for 20 HS students, in conjunction with their teachers - Spring 2015
- The PI and 5 other UHMC IT staff members obtained valuable professional development opportunities and training from NSF centers such as National CyberWatch and CyberWatch West.
- Finally, 20 students enrolled in the courses created as a result of this project, received training in core concepts in cybersecurity
The project has positively benefited the local small business community and how they view the impact of cybersecurity on their business. The research conducted during the course of this project has provided valuable feedback and updates to the local small business community about their vulnerability to the threats from cybersecurity breaches.
This project has led to a greater awareness of cybersecurity, as an inter-disciplinary field of study. Thanks to this NSF ATE project, the UHMC has secured fun...
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