Research Summaries

Back SaTC: EDU: Labtainers Framework Extensions

Fiscal Year 2019
Division Graduate School of Operational & Information Sciences
Department Computer Science
Investigator(s) Irvine, Cynthia E.
Sponsor National Science Foundation (NSF)
Summary Workforce demands for individuals able to configure and defend computers and networks far outstrips production from the nation's educational institutions. To meet current and projected requirements, the national infrastructure for human capacity building in the areas of cybersecurity and information assurance needs significant amplification. The introduction of modern pedagogical material focused on foundational and technological concepts of computer and network security can greatly enhance existing and emerging classes and can help jumpstart instructors new to the field.
Many colleges and universities are experiencing increasing demand for courses in computer and network security. Faculty members unfamiliar with security struggle to prepare new classes with compelling laboratory exercises. These tasks can be so overwhelming to those unfamiliar with cybersecurity that they may avoid meaningful laboratory activities that are difficult to create and assess. Yet excellent experiential, exploratory laboratory exercises can help draw students to cyber security studies, and ultimately into the cybersecurity workforce. In addition, instructors whose classes do not directly focus on security may wish to incorporate laboratory materials for a unit on security, but need easy-to-use tools.
The proposed two-year SaTC: EDU: Labtainers Framework Extensions project will produce new Labtainers cybersecurity exercises, GUI-based lab authoring tools, web-based tools for the review and assessment of student progress, and web-based tutorials. The project also includes a workshop to instruct educators on the use of the Labtainer framework to create, maintain, and incorporate lab exercises into their courses.
Keywords Cybersecurity Cybersecurity Education
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal