Bridging the Community College Cybersecurity Classroom and Workplace with the CyberSim Lab

Most postsecondary cybersecurity education focuses on technical knowledge and skills without commensurate attention to vital non-technical skills. In this position paper, we argue that cybersecurity education must integrate teaching and practicing of non-technical competencies alongside technical knowledge and skills to ensure that both technical and non-technical skills transfer to cybersecurity workplaces. We identify specific learning outcomes that meet these criteria and suggest research-based pedagogical approaches to support learning and transfer. We present a cybersecurity lab designed to address these learning outcomes through experiential learning, roleplay, collaborative learning, technical simulation and metacognitive engagement. The CyberSim Lab serves as a curricular bridge between the classroom and the workplace.