Addressing Cybersecurity Challenges in Education

Abstract

This study aimed to address the challenges of cybersecurity in education. As kindergarten through twelfth-grade education shifts to online and remote learning, educators and governments are increasingly vulnerable to the risks of cyberattacks and cybercrimes. This study focused on the strategies that institutions can employ to increase their students’ cybersecurity awareness and simultaneously motivate them to pursue cybersecurity as a career. To achieve the research objectives, a systematic review of ten studies was performed, and the results showed that game-based strategies were effective in increasing students’ awareness about cybersecurity and their interest in pursuing cybersecurity as a career. The study’s implications suggest that game designers and developers may want to develop advanced games that gauge students’ cybersecurity skills and ability to respond to aggressive forms of cyberattacks in addition to enhancing their knowledge of cybersecurity.

Education, Online Presence and Cybersecurity Implications: A Study of Information Security Practices of Computing Students in Saudi Arabia

“…COVID-19 induced a transition to online learning which has made cybersecurity for students an interesting research area. Triplett [31] carried out a review study to find out how children's cybersecurity awareness was important, and concluded that the adoption of game-based strategies to increase children's awareness could be effective. Zorlu [32] conducted an empirical study with students of Bartin University, Turkey, and found that college students required awareness to keep themselves protected against cyberbullying and cybersecurity threats.…”

Teaching pentesting to social sciences students using experiential learning techniques to improve attitudes towards possible cybersecurity careers

“…Cybersecurity, including pentesting, is a complex subject matter, thus, the learners' motivation is very important to ensure success in cybersecurity learning, especially as learners may experience some difficulties to grasp the intricate concepts of cybersecurity (Kam et al, 2020). Game-based strategies are considered effective in increasing students' cybersecurity awareness and their decision to become cybersecurity professionals (Triplett, 2023). Specifically for the new talent attraction, cyber competitions or exercises (such as Capture the Flags (CTFs)) organized by universities or non-profit organizations are considered as effective ways.…”

“…While the competitions positively influence future career intents, they are designed for targeting high schoolers and those undecided undergraduate and graduate students (Bashir et al, 2015). Recently, both high school and college level students have become increasingly interested in studying cybersecurity; therefore, educational institutions also design introductory courses and seminars to expand the students' knowledge of cybersecurity (Triplett, 2023). However, graduates, non-cybersecurity majors, or those already established in the career path with certain intentions, attracting them to competitions or traditional cybersecurity awareness courses may not work, and alternatives should be considered.…”

Artificial Intelligence in STEM Education

“…10.52889/citj.v1i1.296 AI role in STEM education is more comprehensive and detailed. Instead of broadly considering AI educational implications, we have focused specifically on STEM-specific contexts.Furthermore, educators have discovered that students in high school and college have become increasingly interested in studying; thus, in addition to introductory courses, they have designed seminars to expand he students' knowledge findings complement those ofTriplett (2023), which had previously suggested the immense potential of STEM education without delving into the specific implementation challenges. The implications of the findings from this study are manifold.…”