Information Security Commons^™

Secure Coding In Five Steps, Mini Zeng, Feng Zhu

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Software vulnerabilities have become a severe cybersecurity issue. There are numerous resources of industry best practices available, but it is still challenging to effectively teach secure coding practices. The resources are not designed for classroom usage because the amount of information is overwhelming for students. There are efforts in academia to introduce secure coding components into computer science curriculum, but a big gap between industry best practices and workforce skills still exists. Unlike many existing efforts, we focus on both the big picture of secure coding and hands-on projects. To achieve these two goals, we present five learning steps that …

Observations, Evaluations, And Recommendations For Deterlab From An Educational Perspective, Ahmed Ibrahim, Vitaly Ford

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

DETERLab is a cluster environment that provides a set of virtual machines that can be used by researchers and teachers to run cybersecurity experiments and competitions, and where it is possible to deploy different network configurations to research attack and defense mechanisms in the cyber world. While we were working to develop a pathway for producing more usable and effective cybersecurity educational resources by investigating and examining several projects, we examined DETERLab as a prospective platform to use in the classroom. Throughout our experimentation, we faced challenges that we decided to document in order to help other educators use the …

An Exploratory Study Of Mode Efficacy In Cybersecurity Training, Michael D. Workman

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cybersecurity capabilities in organizations and governmental agencies continue to lag behind the threats. Given the current environment, these entities have placed renewed emphasis on cybersecurity education. However, education appears to lack its full potential in most settings. Few empirical studies have systematically tested the efficacy of various training methods and modes, and those that have been conducted have yielded inconsistent findings. Recent literature on the use of gamified simulations have suggested that they may improve cybersecurity behaviors. Similarly, live activities such as hackathons and capture the flag events have been surmised to augment learning and capabilities. We conducted an exploratory …

Gophish: Implementing A Real-World Phishing Exercise To Teach Social Engineering, Andy Luse, Jim Burkman

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Social engineering is a large problem in our modern technological world, but while conceptually understood, it is harder to teach compared to traditional pen testing techniques. This research details a class project where students implemented a phishing exercise against real-world targets. Through cooperation with an external corporate partner, students learned the legal, technical, behavioral, analysis, and reporting aspects of social engineering. The outcome provided both usable data for a real-world corporation as well as valuable educational experience for the students.

Applying High Impact Practices In An Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Program, Brian K. Payne, Lisa Mayes, Tisha Paredes, Elizabeth Smith, Hongyi Wu, Chunsheng Xin

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The Center for Cybersecurity Education and Research at Old Dominion University has expanded its use of high impact practices in the university’s undergraduate cybersecurity degree program. Strategies developed to promote student learning included learning communities, undergraduate research, a robust internship program, service learning, and electronic portfolios. This paper reviews the literature on these practices, highlights the way that they were implemented in our cybersecurity program, and discusses some of the challenges encountered with each practice. Although the prior literature on high impact practices rarely touches on cybersecurity coursework, the robust evidence of the success of those practices provides a sound …

An Assessment Of Internet Use And Cyber-Risk Prevalence Among Students In Selected Nigerian Secondary Schools, Adeola O. Opesade Dr, Abiodun O. Adetona Mr

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The use of the Internet has become highly pervasive among adolescents. While these people derive numerous benefits from their use of this technology, they are also faced with a challenge of being exposed to many cyber risks. Nigeria is a developing country with a teeming population of adolescents who are regular users of the Internet, but with inadequate research on adolescent Internet safety. There is therefore, a need to conduct studies on child online risks in Nigeria, to help evaluate the enormity of child online abuses. The present study investigated Internet use and cyber-risk prevalence among four hundred secondary school …

From The Editors, Michael E. Whitman, Herbert J. Mattord, Hossain Shahriar

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

A commentary from the editors, with an overview of the articles contained in this issue of the Journal.

A Serious Game For Social Engineering Awareness Creation, Fabian Muhly, Philipp Leo, Stefano Caneppele

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Social engineering is a method used by offenders to deceive their targets utilizing rationales of human psychology. Offenders aim to exploit information and use them for intelligence purposes or financial gains. Generating resilience against these malicious methods is still challenging. Literature shows that serious gaming learning approaches are used more frequently to instill lasting retention effects. Serious games are interactive, experiential learning approaches that impart knowledge about rationales and concepts in a way that fosters retention. In three samples and totally 97 participants the study at hand evaluated a social engineering serious game for participants’ involvement and instruction compliance during …

An Assessment Of Global Research Activities On Children And Adolescent Online Security, Adeola O. Opesade Dr, Omolayo A. Adesina Ms.

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The use of the Internet among children and adolescents is now a norm in many parts of the world. As the Internet offers a wide range of benefits to these ones, so does it expose them to possible various risks and harm. Researchers in different countries across the world have engaged in the production of relevant research-based knowledge in order to make the virtual world a safe place for the younger ones. However, while studies have been carried out on the subject of Internet risk among children and adolescents, there is a dearth of information on the assessment of research …

Evaluating And Securing Text-Based Java Code Through Static Code Analysis, Jeong Yang, Young Lee, Amanda Fernandez, Joshua Sanchez

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As the cyber security landscape dynamically evolves and security professionals work to keep apace, modern-day educators face the issue of equipping a new generation for this dynamic landscape. With cyber-attacks and vulnerabilities substantially increased over the past years in frequency and severity, it is important to design and build secure software applications from the group up. Therefore, defensive secure coding techniques covering security concepts must be taught from beginning computer science programming courses to exercise building secure applications. Using static analysis, this study thoroughly analyzed Java source code in two textbooks used at a collegiate level, with the goal of …

Malaware Defensive: A Game To Train Users To Combat Malware, Tyler Moon, Tamirat Abegaz, Bryson Payne, Abi Salimi

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Several research findings indicate that basic cyber hygiene can potentially deter the majority of cyber threats. One of the ways cybersecurity professionals can prepare users to ensure proper hygiene is to help them develop their ability to spot the difference between normal and abnormal behavior in a computer system. Malware disrupts the normal behavior of a computer system. The lack of appropriate user training has been one of the main reasons behind the exposure of computer systems to threats, from social engineering to viruses, trojans, and ransomware. Basic knowledge about common behavioral characteristics of malware could help users identify potentially …

Divergent Student Views Of Cybersecurity, Susan E. Ramlo, John B. Nicholas

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cybersecurity is a worldwide issue and concern. Prior studies indicate that many people do not use cybersecurity best practices. Although these prior studies used large-scale surveys or interviews, this study used Q methodology [Q] because Q provides greater insight than Likert-format surveys. In fact, Q was created to scientifically study subjectivity. Within a Q study, various stages as well as philosophical, epistemological, and ontological principles represent a complete methodology. At first, Q researchers collect items that represent the broad range of communications about the topic (called the concourse). Although the items can be pictures, scents, or other means of communication, …

Teaching About The Dark Web In Criminal Justice Or Related Programs At The Community College And University Levels., Scott H. Belshaw, Brooke Nodeland, Lorrin Underwood, Alexandrea Colaiuta

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Increasingly, criminal justice practitioners have been called on to help solve breaches in cyber security. However, while the demand for criminal justice participation in cyber investigations increases daily, most universities are lagging in their educational and training opportunities for students entering the criminal justice fields. This article discusses the need to incorporate courses discussing the Dark Web in criminal justice. A review of existing cyber-criminal justice programs in Texas and nationally suggests that most community colleges and 4-year universities have yet to develop courses/programs in understanding and investigating the Dark Web on the internet. The Dark Web serves as the …

An Assessment Of Practical Hands-On Lab Activities In Network Security Management, Te-Shun Chou, Nicholas Hempenius

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

With the advancement in technology over the past decades, networks have become increasingly large and complex. In the meantime, cyberattacks have become highly sophisticated making them difficult to detect. These changes make securing a network more challenging than ever before. Hence, it is critical to prepare a comprehensive guide of network security management for students assist them in becoming network security professionals.

The objective of this paper is to introduce a variety of techniques related to network security management, such as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), event management, security policy management, risk management, access control, and remote monitoring. With the …

Editorial

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Editorial.

Editorial, Michael E. Whitman, Herbert J. Mattord, Hossain Shahriar

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Gdom: Granulometry For The Detection Of Obfuscated Malware, John A. Aruta, N. Paul Schembari

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

We describe the results of a master's thesis in malware detection and discuss the connection to the learning goals of the project. As part of the thesis, we studied obfuscation of malware, conversion of files into images, image processing, and machine learning, a process of benefit to both the student and faculty.

Malware detection becomes significantly more difficult when the malicious specimen is obfuscated or transformed in an attempt to avoid detection. However, computer files have been shown to exhibit evidence of structure when converted into images, so with image processing filters such as granulometry, it is possible to generate …

Adopting The Cybersecurity Curriculum Guidelines To Develop A Secondary And Primary Academic Discipline In Cybersecurity Postsecondary Education, Wasim A. Alhamdani

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

A suggested curriculum for secondary and primarily academic discipline in Cybersecurity Postsecondary Education is presented. This curriculum is developed based on the Association for Computing Machinery guidelines and the National Centers of Academic Excellence Cyber Operations program.

From The Editors, Michael E. Whitman, Herbert J. Mattord, Carole L. Hollingsworth

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Car Hacking: Accessing And Exploiting The Can Bus Protocol, Bryson R. Payne

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

With the rapid adoption of internet-connected and driver-assist technologies, and the spread of semi-autonomous to self-driving cars on roads worldwide, cybersecurity for smart cars is a timely concern and one worth exploring both in the classroom and in the real world. Highly publicized hacks against production cars, and a relatively small number of crashes involving autonomous vehicles, have brought the issue of securing smart cars to the forefront as a matter of public and individual safety, and the cybersecurity of these “data centers on wheels” is of greater concern than ever.

However, up to this point there has been a …

A Design Case: Assessing The Functional Needs For A Multi-Faceted Cybersecurity Learning Space, Charles J. Lesko Jr.

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Following a multi-year effort that developed not only a detailed list of functional requirements but also the preliminary physical and logical design layouts, the concept for a multi-faceted cybersecurity center was approved and the physical, as well as, additional infrastructure space was subsequently allocated. This effort briefly describes the structure and scope of the current cybersecurity program being supported and then draws out the functional requirements that were identified for the center based on the needs of the institution’s cybersecurity program. It also highlights the physical and logical design specifications of the center, as well as, the many external program …

Cybersecurity Education: The Need For A Top-Driven, Multidisciplinary, School-Wide Approach, Lucy Tsado

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The human resource skills gap in cybersecurity has created an opportunity for educational institutions interested in cybersecurity education. The current number of schools designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) as Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) to train cybersecurity experts are not sufficient to meet the shortfall in the industry. The DHS has clearly mapped out knowledge areas for cybersecurity education for both technical and non-technical disciplines; it is therefore possible for institutions not yet designated CAEs to generate cybersecurity experts, with the long-term goal of attaining the CAE designation. The purpose of this …

From The Editors, Herbert J. Mattord, Michael E. Whitman

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

A message from the editors.

Investigating The Impact Of Publicly Announced Information Security Breaches On Corporate Risk Factor Disclosure Tendencies, Sandra J. Cereola, Joanna Dynowska

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As the reported number of data breaches increase and senators push for more disclosure regulation, the SEC staff issued a guidance in 2011 on disclosure obligations relating to cybersecurity risks and incidents. More recently, on February 26, 2018 the SEC Commission issued interpretive guidance to help assist public companies prepare disclosures regarding cybersecurity risks and incidents. As reported incidents of cybersecurity breaches occur, investors are concerned about the risks associated with these incidents and the impact they may have on financial performance. Although the SEC staff guidance warns public companies to make timely disclosure, recognizing the threat that cybercrime poses …

Sit Back, Relax, And Tell Me All Your Secrets, Sarah Kirk, Daniel Foreman, Cody Lee, Shannon W. Beasley

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The goal of this research is to describe an active learning opportunity that was conducted as a community service offering through our Center for Cybersecurity Education and Applied Research (CCEAR). As a secondary goal, the participants sought to gain real world experience by applying techniques and concepts studied in security classes. A local insurance company tasked the CCEAR with assembling a team of students to conduct penetration testing (including social engineering exploits) against company personnel. The endeavor allowed the insurance company to obtain information that would assess the effectiveness of employee training with regard to preventing the divulgence of sensitive …

From The Editors, Carole L. Hollingsworth, Michael E. Whitman, Herbert J. Mattord

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Welcome to the Fall 2018 issue of the Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research, and Practice (JCERP). On behalf of the editorial team, we thank you for taking the time to read this issue and strongly encourage you to submit an article for consideration in an upcoming edition.

Using A Game To Improve Phishing Awareness, Patrickson Weanquoi, Jaris Johnson, Jinghua Zhang

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Cybersecurity education has become increasingly critical as we spend more of our everyday lives online. Research shows that college students are mostly unaware of the many online dangers. To teach students about cybersecurity using their preferred medium, gaming, we developed an educational 2D game called “Bird’s Life” that aims to teach college students, as well as general interest individuals, about phishing. Players will come to understand phishing attacks and how to avoid them in real-world scenarios through a fun gaming context. The game can be deployed to multiple platforms such as PC, web, and mobile devices. To measure the effect …

An Examination Of Cybersecurity Knowledge Transfer: Teaching, Research, And Website Security At U.S. Colleges And Universities, Aditya Gupta, James R. Wolf

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This work seeks to answer the question: Does faculty cybersecurity knowledge gained from teaching and research transfer to other IT units in the university? Specifically, do colleges and universities that excel in cybersecurity teaching and research have more secure websites? This work explores a unique setting where the knowledge of the source and recipient are both directly related and observable without outside intervention. Our study employed data from 591 U.S. colleges and universities, the National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) program, accepted paper data from the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) and the IEEE Symposium on Security …

Using Case Studies To Teach Cybersecurity Courses, Yu Cai

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This paper introduces a holistic and case-analysis teaching model by integrating case studies into cybersecurity courses. The proposed model starts by analyzing real-world cyber breaches. Students look into the details of these attacks and learn how these attacks took place from the beginning to the end. During the process of case analysis, a list of security topics reflecting different aspects of these breaches is introduced. Through guided in-class discussion and hands-on lab assignments, student learning in lecture will be reinforced. Overall, the entire cybersecurity course is driven by case studies. The proposed model is great for teaching cybersecurity. First, the …

Experiential Learning Builds Cybersecurity Self-Efficacy In K-12 Students, Abdullah Konak

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

In recent years, there have been increased efforts to recruit talented K-12 students into cybersecurity fields. These efforts led to many K-12 extracurricular programs organized by higher education institutions. In this paper, we first introduce a weeklong K-12 program focusing on critical thinking, problem-solving, and igniting interest in information security through hands-on activities performed in a state-of-the-art virtual computer laboratory. Then, we present an inquiry-based approach to design hands-on activities to achieve these goals. We claim that hands-on activities designed based on this inquiry-based framework improve K-12 students’ self-efficacy in cybersecurity as well as their problem-solving skills. The evaluation of …