The global shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals is a pressing issue. Despite the growth in the cybersecurity workforce, the demand continues to outpace supply, leaving a critical gap that needs to be addressed urgently. Ersin Dincelli, an assistant professor at CU Denver’s Business School, has devised an innovative strategy to tackle this problem: converting cybersecurity education into a video game format. This novel approach aims to attract a diverse range of students, including those from non-computer science disciplines, by making learning more engaging and accessible.
The Need for Innovative Cybersecurity Education
Identifying the Issues in Traditional Education
Ersin Dincelli recognizes two primary issues plaguing current cybersecurity education: its heavy theoretical basis and its perception as a highly technical field. These elements contribute to a significant lack of engagement and retention among students who might otherwise be interested in the field. Traditional education methods often fail to provide the dynamic, hands-on experience necessary to fully grasp cybersecurity principles and techniques, leaving students ill-prepared for real-world applications.Many students are intimidated by the technical aspects of cybersecurity, assuming it requires extensive background knowledge in computer science. This perception limits the pool of potential cybersecurity professionals, exacerbating the workforce shortage. Addressing these concerns is crucial to opening up the field to a broader, more diverse group of students who can bring varied perspectives and skills. By tackling these systemic issues in traditional education, Dincelli endeavors to make cybersecurity more approachable and appealing to a wide range of learners.
Securing Funding and Development
To turn his vision into reality, Dincelli secured nearly $300,000 in grant funding from the National Science Foundation. This financial backing has allowed him to develop an immersive video game designed to teach cybersecurity principles through interactive, experiential learning. The game features dynamic, three-dimensional world maps, story-driven quests, and an ethical decision-making component, all designed to hold students’ interest and provide practical learning opportunities. These elements aim to transform abstract concepts into tangible experiences, enabling students to learn through trial and error in a controlled environment.The game’s development aims to make cybersecurity education more accessible and less daunting for a wider array of students. By incorporating engaging and interactive components, the game seeks to demystify the field and encourage students from various academic backgrounds to explore cybersecurity. This innovative approach not only addresses the educational gaps in traditional methods but also aims to diversify the cybersecurity workforce by attracting a broader talent pool.
Key Features of the Cybersecurity Video Game
Dynamic Gameplay and Story-Driven Quests
The core of Dincelli’s educational video game is its dynamic gameplay. Players control a team of hackers tasked with completing various quests by hacking into global systems. These story-driven quests are designed to be engaging and educational, offering students a compelling way to learn fundamental cybersecurity principles. By immersing players in realistic scenarios, the game fosters a deep understanding of cybersecurity concepts through practical application and experiential learning.This hands-on approach allows students to apply theoretical knowledge in practice, helping them understand complex concepts through real-world scenarios. The game’s engaging format aims to captivate students from diverse backgrounds, making cybersecurity education enjoyable and informative. By making learning interactive and immersive, the game aims to break down barriers to entry and encourage students to pursue careers in cybersecurity, thereby addressing the workforce shortage from the ground up.
Incorporating Ethical Decision-Making
One of the game’s standout features is its ethical decision-making component. At the end of each quest, players must decide what to do with the information they have gathered. Their choices affect their “ethics level” in the game and determine the rewards they receive. This ethical decision-making process is crucial for teaching students about the consequences of their actions in the realm of cybersecurity, reinforcing the importance of ethical behavior in a field where missteps can have significant repercussions.For instance, if players gather information on a fictional politician using social media data, they must choose whether to turn it over to law enforcement, post it on social media, or use it for blackmail. Each choice offers a learning opportunity about the legal and ethical implications of cybersecurity practices, helping students become more responsible cybersecurity professionals. By confronting players with these dilemmas, the game provides a safe environment for exploring the complexities of ethical decision-making, thereby cultivating a more conscientious and ethically aware workforce.
Collaborative Platform for Continuous Improvement
Educator Collaboration and Feedback
Beyond individual student engagement, the game serves as a collaborative platform for educators within CU Denver’s Business School. Instructors can access and customize quests, exchange ideas, and provide feedback, ensuring that the game remains current with evolving cybersecurity concerns. This collaborative aspect addresses a critical gap in cybersecurity defense, as attackers constantly innovate with new tools and techniques while defenders often lack the resources to keep pace. By fostering a dynamic learning environment that evolves with industry trends, educators can better prepare students to be proactive defenders against cyber threats.This collaboration among educators not only enhances the game’s relevance and effectiveness but also promotes continuous improvement in cybersecurity education. By staying current with the latest cybersecurity trends, educators can ensure that students are learning the most pertinent information and developing the skills needed to anticipate and counteract emerging threats. This proactive approach is essential for building a capable cybersecurity workforce that can effectively protect organizations and their resources.
Staying Updated with Cybersecurity Trends
The collaborative platform allows educators to stay abreast of the latest cybersecurity trends and incorporate them into the game. This ensures that students are learning the most current and relevant information, better preparing them for real-world cyber defense roles. By incorporating up-to-date challenges and scenarios, the game helps students develop the skills needed to anticipate and counteract emerging threats. This proactive approach is essential for building a capable cybersecurity workforce that can effectively protect organizations and their resources.Incorporating up-to-date challenges and scenarios helps students develop the skills needed to anticipate and counteract emerging threats. This proactive approach is essential for building a capable cybersecurity workforce that can effectively protect organizations and their resources. By preparing students to stay ahead of cyber threats, the game equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful career in cybersecurity.
Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Cybersecurity
Attracting a Diverse Student Population
Dincelli’s project explicitly aims to attract a diverse student population, including underrepresented minorities. By making cybersecurity education more accessible and less intimidating, the game seeks to tap into a broader talent pool. This inclusivity is essential for developing a robust and varied workforce capable of defending against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Encouraging participation from students of different backgrounds enriches the field with diverse perspectives and problem-solving approaches. A more inclusive cybersecurity workforce can better address the wide range of challenges posed by global cyber threats.Encouraging participation from students of different backgrounds enriches the field with diverse perspectives and problem-solving approaches. A more inclusive cybersecurity workforce can better address the wide range of challenges posed by global cyber threats. By actively seeking to attract students from various demographics, the initiative aims to cultivate a diverse pool of cybersecurity professionals. This diversity is not only beneficial for innovation but also critical for understanding and mitigating the broad spectrum of cyber threats.
Building a Robust Cybersecurity Workforce
The global shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals remains a critical issue. Despite the increasing number of cybersecurity workers, the demand is still outstripping supply, creating a significant gap that urgently needs to be filled. Ersin Dincelli, an assistant professor at CU Denver’s Business School, has come up with an innovative solution to address this challenge: transforming cybersecurity education into a video game format. This groundbreaking approach aims to attract a broader range of students, especially those not majoring in computer science, by making the learning process more engaging and accessible. By integrating elements of gaming, Dincelli hopes to make cybersecurity concepts more relatable and less intimidating, thereby encouraging more students to enter the field. This strategy could not only diversify the pool of cybersecurity talent but also help meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in a sector that is crucial for protecting digital infrastructure and information.
