In late spring, the Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute (ISI) and College of Charleston hosted a two-and-a half-day workshop on cybersecurity education materials for liberal arts colleges. Thirty professors, undergraduates, and high school students convened on the College of Charleston campus in Charleston, South Carolina.

Facilitated by two Master of Science in Security Informatics (MSSI) program students, Yu-Tsern Jou and Steven Cheng, the workshop included hands-on lab modules on digital certificates that can be conducted in a remote cloud-based network, called Global Environment for Network Innovation.  The workshop also explored other non-technical education modules such as financial investment in cybersecurity.

“Promoting cybersecurity education to liberal arts colleges broadens the pipeline of students to enter specialized cybersecurity graduate programs like MSSI,” said Xiangyang Li, MSSI Program Director.

The ongoing ISI research, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and in collaboration with the College of Charleston, aims to develop cybersecurity learning materials for liberal arts colleges. Over the past three years, the ISI and College of Charleston have worked together to develop materials covering a variety of critical cybersecurity topics. The two-day workshop was organized to disseminate research results, including findings from teaching the materials to students at the College of Charleston.

“A number of research assistants who have worked in this project, including MSSI students and an undergraduate student from the University of Maryland at College Park, gained valuable knowledge in doing research, developing education materials, and interacting with educators and students from other institutions,” said Li.