In 2005, CyberWATCH was established as an ATE regional center for cybersecurity education serving the Washington, DC, metropolitan area (Award DUE-0501828). Following four successful years of operation, the current grant renews the center for a second phase.
The CyberWATCH consortium has grown from 10 original core institutions in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia to 26 members, including affiliates in Delaware, North Carolina, Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington State. CyberWATCH Phase II is expanding academic resources to meet constantly changing industry needs; strengthening the K-12 pipeline and increasing enrollments in Information Security/Information Assurance (IS/IA) programs; expanding the consortium and providing resources and support to new members; providing real-life or simulated work experiences for students; addressing public awareness of cybersecurity; promoting the IS/IA profession; and developing a revenue stream that will sustain the consortium over the long term.
While continuing the successful efforts in curriculum, faculty, and student development that were launched during Phase I, CyberWATCH Phase II is adding several innovative programs. New initiatives include:
* online model A.A.S. and A.S. curricula, paired with appropriate faculty training, dissemination of materials, a curriculum maintenance and update process, and mapping updates; * specialized curriculum tracks in digital forensics, network security, database management security, and secure programming; * curricula and case studies that utilize the center's digital forensics lab; * faculty self-assessment instruments, which allow faculty to assess their skills in IS/IA in the context of the CyberWATCH curriculum and identify training to fill gaps; * a clearinghouse of guest speakers; * a mentoring program that pairs industry professionals with students; * a high school-to-college articulation program focusing on IS/IA; * additional curriculum modules and case studies that fill in gaps in the existing 85 modules and their alignment with CyberWATCH courses; * an enhanced K-12 cybersecurity education program, including summer camps for high school students, 1-2 day programs for middle school girls, after-school enrichment programs for elementary students, and a 1-2 week program for STEM teachers; * specialized security training for the personnel who are responsible for maintaining IT infrastructure in K-12 schools; * a CyberWATCH presence in Second Life, which will allow students and faculty to participate in virtual classes, workshops, conferences, and training scenarios; * an annual online job fair and a program to prepare students for interviews; and * additional activities promoting cybersecurity awareness, education, and careers to the public.
" For details, visit http://cyberwatchcenter.org CyberWatch II (CWII) (2009-2012) was an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Regional Center, headquartered at Prince George’s Community College, Maryland, and funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). CWII built on the foundations of the first CyberWatch grant (2005-2009); CWII has been followed by the current National CyberWatch Center, funded by NSF through 2016. Principle collaborating institutions in CWII included: Anne Arundel Community College Educational Technology, Policy, and Outreach (ETPRO) Community College of Baltimore County Northern Virginia Community College Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College George Washington University The CWII mission was to increase the quantity and quality of the cybersecurity workforce. CyberWatch goals focused on cybersecurity education at all levels, but especially the community college level, and included curriculum development, faculty professional development, student development, career pathways, and public awareness. From inception as a local consortium of 10 institutions around the nation’s capital through completion of CWII, CyberWatch achieved the following: The Power of the Network (Chart 1). CyberWatch reached and influenced an ever-expanding number of people: 94 member institutions: 50 community colleges 44 universities In 29 states plus the District of Columbia 48 partner institutions – businesses, government agencies, state departments of education, and professional associations Model Cybersecurity Curricula: CyberWatch developed model cybersecurity curricula, including complete courses for Applied Associate of Science (A.A.S.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees and for two cybersecurity certificates. The model courses were converted for delivery in an online format. The number of CyberWatch degree and certificate programs at member institutions more than quadrupled as a result of curriculum development, scope expansion, and member growth. The number of community college programs increased ten-fold (from 4 to 40). The number of curricula mapped to external industry standards increased twentyfold project-wide, from 3 to 61 mappings. At the community college level, the number of Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS)-certified curricula increased from 1 to 26. The number of students enrolled in Information Technology (IT)/cybersecurity-related courses at community colleges grew fifteen-fold, from 307 to approximately 4700 (Chart 2). Almost half of the community college students served by CyberWatch were reported to be minority students (28% African-American, 8% Hispanic, 3% Multiracial, 6% Asian). CAE2Y (Chart 3): CyberWatch led the national effort to create the Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education for Community Colleges (CAE2Y) designation, as part of the CAE program managed by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Faculty Professional Development (Chart 4): CyberWatch trained 845 college faculty and 69 high school teachers through 85 CyberWatch professional development workshops. As a result, approximately 10,000 students were directly impacted by CyberWatch-sponsored faculty development. Student Competitions: Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MA CCDC) Digital Forensics Cup (in collaboration with the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Crime Center (DC3) Security Awareness Poster and Video Contest (in collaboration with EDUCAUSE) National Cyber League (NCL), a new national cybersecurity competitive league (in collaboration with CSSIA, CyberWatch West, and MPICT). In its pilot year, NCL fielded 24 teams, a 4-week season, and a championship event at CISSE 2012. CyberWatch K-12 Program: High school curriculum: CyberWatch developed an Information Assurance (IA) Track within Career and Technical Education (CTE). Year-round after school programs offered at the elementary, middle, and high school level Programs that address middle school girls through the Cool Careers in Cybersecurity Workshop School counselor training through the annual Careers in Information Assurance/Cybersecurity Guidance Counselors Workshop Educator and parent training through the Annual Cyberethics, Cybersafety, and Cybersecurity (C3) Conference Virtual and Physical Secure Labs: Montgomery College Virtual Lab (MCVL) University of Maryland Digital Forensics Lab (DFL) Bowie State University CyberWatch Underground Tunnel System (CUTS) CyberWatch’s Virtual Lab 2.0 Project Proselytization and Dissemination: CyberWatch created videos and brochures to promote the cybersecurity profession and related career paths, cybersecurity education, and CyberWatch itself CyberWatch represented the community college perspective in multiple national conversations, including the cybersecurity profession, industry certifications, articulation agreements, and K-12 education. CyberWatch regularly presented at major conferences concerning cybersecurity education. Building on its accomplishments since 2005, CyberWatch transitioned from a consortium with regional focus to a national one that continues to attract a growing number of institutions eager to establish, strengthen, and support cybersecurity educational programs. The culture of collaboration CyberWatch created and honed in the preceding seven years was essential to bringing cybersecurity education to the attention of college administrators, employers, politicians, and civil society, as well as growing a national network. This in turn enabled the CyberWatch Center to impact colleges, universities, and organizations across the U.S. by creating, collaborating, and sharing its model programs in curriculum, faculty and student engagement, relationships with all stakeholders, and the public at large. CyberWatch’s impressive record proved that it was well positioned to become the National CyberWatch Center.
