Including Cybersecurity in Standards of Learning

            Including cybersecurity in standards of learning (SOL) is an important policy and strategy that needs to continue being executed and put in place for children and students. It is important for knowledge about cybersecurity and its importance to be taught to people unaware because of the costs it can have in the long run. Cybersecurity should be a minimum expectation and requirement of public schools because students that range from K-12 particularly do not have any caution when browsing the internet and when putting data out on the internet. Social media, online gaming, websites, email, and text messages are all different gateways in the cyber world where cyber criminals attack victims, and they are also easy gateways to students that are unaware of the threat.

            With the fast increase in job demand in cybersecurity, there is a need to educate individuals so they can develop skills that can fulfill these unfilled roles, and where is a better place to start than K-12 students? This policy/strategy is put in place to give students foundational knowledge and potentially hands-on experience with cybersecurity and IT. This can include hands on learning with computer systems dealing with information security. Like I stated before the main purpose of this strategy is to introduce cybersecurity to students and develop an understanding of the cyber world as well as the threats and potential damage the threats can cause. Introducing students to cyber hygiene and how to safely manage personal data would also be an objective for this strategy.

            This strategy is applied in a variety of ways. This policy has yet to be applied across the entire nation but is being applied is various parts of the U.S. in different schools and education centers. There are websites and online courses aimed towards K-12 students to be able to gain a general understand of cybersecurity and what it contains. Specific learning centers that help students develop real world skills are placed at high schools across the U.S. that direct students in different industries with cybersecurity and computer science being included. Cyber.org, which is an organization pushing efforts to get more students involved in cybersecurity and IT is an example of how this policy/strategy is being applied.

            Currently, this strategy has not made full effect in the entire nation. However, this strategy can tie into other national policies related to informing people about cybersecurity. The National Incentive for Cybersecurity Education (NICE), a cybersecurity workforce framework, is an example of a national policy that including cybersecurity in standards of learning can fall under. The National Incentive for Cybersecurity Education is “the foundation for increasing the size and capability of the U.S. cybersecurity workforce.” This framework aims to educate students and provide skills and experience.

            The journal article from Loftus N, and Narman, H discusses using machine learning in interactive cybersecurity and network education. This discuss how cybersecurity is a complex subject for students to pursue but also important for students to be educated about the subject. They also state “Hands-on learning through labs and simulators can help students become more familiar with the subject at security classes to pursue cybersecurity education.” In the journal article they develop a platform and application for cybersecurity education aimed for late high school students and early college students.

            The journal article “An Integral Pedagogical Strategy for Teaching and Learning IoT (Internet of Things) Cybersecurity” focuses on introducing students to the complex world of technology and being able to interact with complex IoT environments that would be required in the real world. This article “proposes an integral strategy for learning IoT cybersecurity structed in three different stages which focus not only on the content about IoT and cybersecurity but also on competencies to acquire, the most suitable learning methodologies and the expected learning outcomes.” This can include getting students to interact with IoT devices and getting students to understand models.

            Another article by Bruyan, J, which discussed aerial drones being an effective tool to teach and educate high school students. The comprehensive academy aimed to educate students on how tech gadgets like drones can have an impact on the community and performing different tasks.

Bibliography

Loftus, N., & Narman, H. S. (2023). Use of Machine Learning in Interactive Cybersecurity and Network Education. Sensors (14248220), 23(6), 2977. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.3390/s23062977

Sánchez, J., Mallorquí, A., Briones, A., Zaballos, A., & Corral, G. (2020). An Integral Pedagogical Strategy for Teaching and Learning IoT Cybersecurity. Sensors (14248220), 20(14), 3970. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.3390/s20143970

Bhuyan, J., Wu, F., Thomas, C., Koong, K., Hur, J. W., & Wang, C. (2020). Aerial Drone: an Effective Tool to Teach Information Technology and Cybersecurity through Project Based Learning to Minority High School Students in the U.S. TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 64(6), 899–910. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1007/s11528-020-00502-7