The Partnership in Securing Cyberspace Through Education and Service (PISCES 2010) scholarship program provides opportunities for students with diverse backgrounds to become computer security and information assurance (CSIA) professionals. PISCES is based at The George Washington University (GW).
Intellectual Merit: GW has over 25 courses in the area of CSIA. Using traditional computing lab resources along with newly-developed resources such the portable educational network (the Internet in a box) developed at GW, students are exposed to hands-on demonstrations and experience on the cutting edge of CSIA education and to lectures by world experts in technological and policy aspects of CSIA. In addition to their existing track record of producing graduates with knowledge of CSIA issues and mechanisms, technical expertise to design and build secure information systems, and a global societal and ethical context within which to apply their technical expertise, GW plan to add another objective: establishing a peer and near-peer mentoring network among prospective SFS students, current SFS students and SFS students who have already completed the program and gone on to work for the federal government.
Broader Impact: Students supported through this scholarship program help to improve the quality of the federal technical and management cadre being built and provide experiential and networking opportunities to leverage personal and professional relationships. In addition, through partnerships among GW, Marymount University, and the University of Hawaii, PISCES 2010 actively recruits and supports students from low-income families and other traditionally under-represented groups in CSIA.
This project provided two-year full scholarships (tuition, books, stipend, and room and board) for students to study computer security and information assurance at GW or a partner university. After completing their coursework, students went to work to protect the nation's information infrastructure by working as security experts in a government agency for two years and in many cases longer, and are still there. The project supported 24 students in computer science, forensic sciences, information systems technology management, and international science and technology policy. They have gone on to work in government agencies, national laboratories, and federally funded research and development centers. Our Scholarship for Service (SFS) graduates have completed a course of study that includes at least 24 hours of cybersecurity course work plus a required seminar that runs throughout the students’ time at GW and includes speakers on issues such as privacy, intellectual property, computer crime, and information warfare, and provides numerous opportunities to engage the speakers in informal discussions of the efficacy of the technological armada of security and information assurance tools utilized in response to these issues. Guest talks by government officials and professionals working on government projects are a regular feature of this class. During weekly meetings, students presented their analyses of current cyber attacks, vulnerabilities, and mitigation techniques to their peers, visiting speakers, and course instructors. Students also prepared written system security plans for their instructor and presented these to their peers. The project also included a workshop that brought together professors, information technology professionals, program managers from government, and other stakeholders and experts to look back at developments since the first formal programs supporting information assurance education and workforce development were launched and reflect on the successes, lessons learned, and potential challenges and opportunities in the years to come. Its results were published in the professional literature and are now being considered by leaders in the relevant communities of interest. In addition, the project included two workshops on "Lessons Learned from Diverse and Successful SFS programs". These "boot camps" informed new SFS institutional recipients about practical issues in managing their grants. Best practices and lessons learned were explained by a team of veteran mentors, principal investigators who have been successful in educating students in cybersecurity and information assurance and in placing their graduates into government service.
