Written by Christina Batcheler
Two Mason Professors, J.P. Auffret and Angelos Stavrou have been awarded a $160,000 grant by the National Security Agency to develop Cybersecurity curricula for undergraduate, graduate, and executive education.
Dr. Angelos Stavrou, Professor of Computer Science, Volgenau School of Engineering and Director, Center for Assurance Research and Engineering (CARE) and Dr. J.P. Auffret, Director, Research Partnerships, School of Business and Associate Director, CARE will work to support the NSA Cybersecurity National Action Plan (CNAP) goals by engaging with industry and government to review and collate Enterprise Risk Management and Mobile Cybersecurity best practices and developing and making available and adopting Cybersecurity Core curricula and modules for Risk management and Wireless/Mobile.
“We’re very appreciative to NSA and are looking forward to engaging with industry and government practitioners in the challenging areas of enterprise risk management and mobile security and supporting NSA’s new initiative to develop a library and catalog of cybersecurity curricula and courses as a way to broaden the availability, depth and breadth of cybersecurity education,” said J.P. Auffret.
Risk management and mobile security are two of the more challenging areas of cybersecurity and in turn cybersecurity education. Risk management is the foundation for cybersecurity strategy and connects cybersecurity leadership and governance to cybersecurity operations. Mobile security is a challenge because of the rapid innovation and adoption of wireless / mobile technologies and the corresponding impact and risk of organizations and society. Risk management and mobile security are integrally linked in that mobile is one the most dynamic and current areas for risk management including in the ramifications of IoT and for critical infrastructure.
The project supports the NSA CNAP goals by developing and promoting Cybersecurity Core curricula and modules for Risk Management and Wireless / Mobile oriented towards potential US Federal Government cybersecurity leaders and staff. The modules will be in online and in person formats and for roles from practitioner to executive. The project includes three workshops for 100 participants as well as development of Risk Management and Wireless / Mobile Education Roadmap and Toolkits.
The project builds upon two National Science Foundation projects undertaken by Auffret and Stavrou – the first to develop core competencies for Chief Information Security Officers and the second to develop policy and legislative proposals to foster and facilitate cybersecurity partnering by municipal governments in areas such as governance, staffing and technology acquisition.