Cyber security awareness program is focused degrees have become more popular in the past several years; however, there remains a dearth of projects in cyber security for the non-major. If humans really are the weakest link within cyber security, then this gap within our education system must be addressed immediately.
In this paper, we discuss the development of a cyber security course for non-majors. It is a foundational course intended to educate individuals on the various
components of cyber security and privacy so that they can make more informed
decisions as consumers. While the course discussed herein involves an
undergraduate course in college, we acknowledge the need for similar courses
within our primary and secondary education systems, among other venues
(Baumann, 2016). The approach outlined here could serve as a model for courses
offered in other settings.
The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. First, we discuss the need
for the masses to be educated on the basics of cyber security. These basics include
backing up data, being suspicious of emails and other phishing pathways, keeping
current anti-malware software installed on all computing devices, and using great
caution with respect to the amount and type of personal information that is shared.
Second, we detail the approach taken in the development of an undergraduate
course in cyber security. This approach included developing curriculum relevant to
non-technical majors. For example, labs were developed that had them perform
actual protective measures on their personal computers, such as installing software
that performs automatic backups of their data to the cloud.
Third, we discuss the results of two iterations of the introductory cyber security
course that was developed. This includes feedback from students and lessons
learned. In particular, we discuss one significant gap that was not able to be fully
remedied—the need for a textbook appropriate for the target audience.
Fourth, we place the curriculum developed for this course within the context of
Bloom’s Taxonomy. This includes examples that illustrate how all of the levels of
Bloom’s Taxonomy are engaged by the activities developed for this course.
Fifth, we discuss the benefits this type of course has to various stakeholders,
such as students, STEM programs, colleges, and society as a whole.
Finally, the implications of our work are discussed, including possible next
steps. These next steps could involve adapting the curriculum to secondary school
students and developing a textbook that is suitable for both college and secondary
school students.
