CyberEd – Center for Cybersecurity Innovation & Outreach

CyIO Education and Outreach Initiatives

The CyberEd group comprises faculty and students from across campus working together to create and deliver cybersecurity education and outreach to Iowa and beyond. The mission of the CyberEd group is to provide cybersecurity education opportunities to all citizens.

CyberEd focuses on the following:

Literacy and Outreach: Cybersecurity education for all.
Pathways: New educational options for students, graduates, and professionals to earn cybersecurity degrees and credentials tailored to their career goals.
Exercises: Cyber-focused exercises designed to provide scenario-based learning opportunities.
Training: Specialized cybersecurity modules for educational and training purposes.
Learning Materials: The design of innovative materials to help students learn cybersecurity and apply it to their career and degree goals.

The CyberEd team has the following ongoing projects in support of its mission:

Literacy and Outreach:

The Iowa Cyber Hub: The Iowa Cyber Hub is dedicated to connecting Iowans and advancing the cybersecurity workforce across the state.
Security Literacy Project: The security literacy project is dedicated to creating and disseminating learning materials designed to teach cybersecurity literacy.
Innovate-IT: Innovate-IT is a high school outreach program designed to increase interest in information technology through robotics, game design, and cyber security. The program, which is in its fifteenth year, was selected for scale-up by the State of Iowa STEM council.

Pathways:

Minor in “Applications of Cybersecurity” is a proposed new degree designed for non-computer students at Iowa State.
Professional Certificate in Cybersecurity is a proposed new online degree designed for working professionals with a 2-year degree from a community college.
Graduate degree

Exercises:

Cyber Defense Competitions (CDC): Iowa State is a leader in Cyber Defense Competitions.
CySim is a proposed cyber security sports complex designed to host various cyber security exercises. (Pending state funding)

Training:

Sector-based Cyber Literacy Training
- Ag
- Critical Infrastructure
Train the trainer materials and seminars

Learning Materials:

Cyber library to provide learning support for classes (resources for students to fill in gaps)
Professional development for faculty
- Adversarial thinking
- Cybersecurity Faculty Fellow