ERIC Number: EJ1164326
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Dec
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1055-3096
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Maintaining a Cybersecurity Curriculum: Professional Certifications as Valuable Guidance
Knapp, Kenneth J.; Maurer, Christopher; Plachkinova, Miloslava
Journal of Information Systems Education, v28 n2 p101-113 Dec 2017
Much has been published about developing a cybersecurity curriculum for institutes of higher learning (IHL). Now that a growing number of IHLs globally offer such programs, a need exists on how to guide, maintain, and improve the relevancy of existing curricula. Just as cybersecurity professionals must be hone their skills continually to keep with a constantly shifting threat landscape, cybersecurity programs need to evolve to ensure they continue to produce knowledgeable graduates. In the regard, professional certifications in the cybersecurity industry offer an opportunity for IHLs to maintain a current curriculum. Governing bodies that manage professional certifications are highly motivated to ensure their certifications in assessing a candidate's overall credentials. This paper attempts to fill a void in the literature by exploring the use of professional certifications as helpful input to shaping and maintaining a cybersecurity curriculum. To this end, we offer a literature analysis that shows how changes made to professional certifications are applicable and relevant to maintaining a cybersecurity curriculum. We then provide a case study involving an undergraduate cybersecurity program in a mid-sized university in the United States. Before concluding, we discuss topics such as experiential learning, cybersecurity capstone courses, and the limitations to our approach.
Descriptors: Information Security, Computer Security, Computer Science Education, Certification, Higher Education, Industry, Professional Development, Employment Qualifications, Educational Change, Experiential Learning, Curriculum Design, Federal Legislation, Models, Maintenance, Federal Government, National Security, Public Agencies, Case Studies, Qualitative Research
Journal of Information Systems Education. e-mail: editor@jise.org; Web site: http://www.jise.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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