2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Development, Assessment, and Advancement of a Student-Centered Cyber Risk Management Course

Presented at Computing and Information Technology Division (CIT) Technical Session 3

Managing risk is a key component to achieving a strong cyber security posture. Practitioners must consider a combination of human, technology, and policy-based factors when establishing their postures. To help students understand these interdependencies, we designed and developed a course to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate these in a real-world environment. Students have gained an appreciation for various technical and managerial concepts related to cyber security and demonstrated the knowledge gained by developing submissions to the annual Maritime Cyber Risk Symposium student poster contest. This paper describes the multi-year developmental journey in standing up a Cyber Risk Management course linked to National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Security National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Education knowledge units, ABET outcomes for cybersecurity computing programs, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology framework and guidance. It includes student-centered individual classroom learning, project-based team learning, and team development of scholarly work for submission and external evaluation. The efficacy of this approach after two offerings is based upon student feedback, ABET and NCAE assessment, and external results. The paper concludes with how we see the course evolving as the cyber systems major evolves. Teaching cyber-focused concepts in an interdisciplinary manner is critical and, in that spirit, the teaching of this course is moving from the School of Engineering and Cyber Systems to the School of Leadership and Management.

Authors

Dr. Joseph Benin United States Coast Guard Academy [biography]

CAPT Benin is a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy (BSEE), having served as the Regimental Honor Officer and Chairman of the Cadet Standards of Conduct Board. He then served as the Electrical and Electronics Officer aboard the USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) completing his Engineer-Officer-In-Training (EOIT) qualifications. In 2005, he was selected as a member of the Permanent Commissioned Teaching Staff (PCTS) at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. CAPT Benin focuses on the areas of computer networks, programming, and security. Dr. Benin has previously served as the Director of Academic Advising and presently is the chair of the USCGA Cyber Council and Cyber Systems Program Coordinator.
Mr. William Randall [biography]

William Randall spent over 30 years in Coast Guard C4IT/C5I including serving as the senior civilian for the engineering, development, and protection of the Coast Guard's IT infrastructure at the Coast Guard's Telecommunication and Information Systems Com
Angela G Jackson-Summers http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1064-7057 United States Coast Guard Academy [biography]

Prior to joining CGA, Dr. Angela Jackson-Summers, an Assistant Professor of Information Systems, provided consultative, auditing, assurance, and advisory services relating to IS/IT risk management, enterprise/IT project management, business/IT continuity management, and data/information security over the past thirty years. She primarily delivered those services in the financial services, healthcare, telecommunications, government, and transportation industries. As a practitioner, researcher, coach, and mentor, Dr. Jackson-Summers has also served as a key speaker on such topics listed above. Her primary research interests include IT/IS Risk Management and Data/Information Security and Assurance.

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