Online Information Security Education through Anchored Instruction

The Internet is unquestionably the most extensive and accessible resource for information and commerce in history. But it is also providing a medium for new forms of crime, espionage, and even terror, targeting organizations and individuals alike. Broad awareness of vulnerabilities and defenses is needed to protect against all types of cyber attacks. While online learning environments provide a great opportunity to train large numbers of people, they have yet to demonstrate effectiveness in high-stakes situations. In an effort to better prepare cyberspace defenders, we are developing a multidisciplinary training program that encompasses topics from computer science, management information systems, and legal and ethical studies, using state-of-the-art online learning methods and technology. This paper describes the Adaptive Cyber-security Training (ACT) Online program, giving details of its targeted training population, curriculum, and instructional design strategy. We further report pilot testing results from two recently developed courses that show significant learning gains following this cyber security training. Index terms – Cyber Security, Cyber Ethics, Information Security Basics, Online Training, STAR Legacy cycle.