Bringing Different Disciplines and Competitions in your Classroom

It is well-known that cybersecurity does not belong only to computer science/engineering. Other disciplines such as Psychology, Criminal Justice, Sociology, and Political Science can have a great impact in cybersecurity research and education. Students taking only courses are at a disadvantage and should be encouraged to participate in cybersecurity competitions to obtain real-world skills. This lightning talk will look at incorporating two aspects in an interdisciplinary cybersecurity program/curriculum: 1) different disciplines and majors such as Psychology, Criminal Justice, Political Science, Sociology into the cybersecurity program; and 2) including cybersecurity competitions as an integral part of the cybersecurity classroom and curriculum. Incorporating many disciplines reach a wider audience and also increase diversity of knowledge. Cybersecurity competitions are an applied method to the classroom environment. Ways to get started, how to engage faculty from other disciplines, and which competitions to get started in, will be covered. This session will be interesting to instructors who are starting or are interested in starting a new interdisciplinary cybersecurity program. The learning outcomes from this session are 1) How to engage with other disciplines and include them in the curriculum; 2) How to incorporate cybersecurity competitions into the classroom.