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Enhancing Educational Experience through Information Assurance Center Collaboration

In March 2005, Jeff Recor, Director of IAC, highlighted the challenges and solutions in bridging the gap between academia and the private sector in cybersecurity education. The Information Assurance Center (IAC) at Walsh College addresses the shortage of skilled practitioners by connecting students with employers, offering hands-on projects, and developing current content. It serves as a knowledge repository and provides resources for practical training and collaboration with community organizations. This initiative aims to prepare students for real-world challenges while meeting industry demands.

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Enhancing Educational Experience through Information Assurance Center Collaboration

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  1. March 2005 FISSEA IA Community Outreach Jeff Recor Director, IAC

  2. Discussion Points • Enhancing the Educational Experience • Nuts and Bolts • Example Clients

  3. A Little Knowledge … Symantec, 2004

  4. Private Sector Viewpoint: • Needs include: • Practitioners (technical) • Analysts (non-technical) • Management • Method to properly evaluate experience and credentials • Certifications not representative of need • Experience, experience, experience

  5. Academia Viewpoint: • Need to create content that is current (valuable) • Need to enable students to compete for jobs in marketplace • Lack of instructors • Lack of textbooks • Lack of standards • Don’t want to compete with “boot camps”

  6. The “Gap” • Employers do not see academia producing security practitioners • Knowledge is still “theoretical” • Additional training needed to make student “functional” after hiring • Perception is that we produce “analysts” • Academia not getting clear signals about needs from employers • No “connection point” • Market data tough to come by

  7. Enhancing Educational Experience • Walsh College addressed this “gap” by creating the IAC: Information Assurance Center • Model is based on “pay” for services approach • Leverage students desire for “hands-on” with employers need for “bodies” • Managed like a profit center • Reporting structure supports mission

  8. IAC Focus • Information Assurance Center • Directs all efforts for IA at College • Works by subscription model • Offers faculty expertise, student projects and general assistance for subscribers • Knowledge repository for all IA topics • Lab facilities will be utilized for forensic and specialized client requests in conjunction with student needs

  9. Nuts and Bolts • What does the IAC do: • Connects students with employers: • Projects • Research • Direct employment • Connects students with the community: • Work with non-profits • Help solve problems for citizens • Support local professional organizations (ISSA, ISACA, etc) • Presentations to K-12

  10. Nuts and Bolts • Main goal is to share knowledge ! http://www.walshcollege.edu/pages/846.asp

  11. Nuts and Bolts • How does the IAC do it? • Support Structure • Director, Assistant Director reports to President • Separate financials • Additional sales support (corporate services structure) • Shared infrastructure (servers, web site, etc) • Marketing • Students create & maintain support infrastructure • Created IAC knowledge repository • Create client content • Managed by professors

  12. Nuts and Bolts • Financials • Revenue generation • Three tiers of support • Marketing support also allowed • Can pay from $500 to $25,000 to “join” • Marketing sponsorships cost $7,500 • Costs: • Marketing • Salaries • Break-even model

  13. Nuts and Bolts • Knowledge Repository • Information is tiered for sharing • Non-members (everyone) • Access depends on subscription level • Clients consent… • Students consent… • Information collected from all sources • Projects • Capstones • Individual assignments

  14. Colleges & Universities Membership Alliances Articulation Appointment Certifying Bodies Industry Government

  15. Infrastructure Support • Newsletter • Global Threat Alert System • Knowledge repository • Security Job Portal • IAC Member Help Desk (email) • IAC member Chat • FBI Infragard Listserv • State of Michigan ISAC

  16. Types of Activities • Connecting Students with Employers: • Typical stuff • Requests for research • Requests for short term projects • Requests for long term projects • Not so typical stuff • Work with FBI • Help the Army with DITSCAP • Private sector projects

  17. Examples of IAC Work • Risk Assessment for Valassis • State of Michigan Employee training • THAW Fund Posture Review • Route One executive training • Budd Co Policy development • GM Hacking video • K-12 Cyber Awareness

  18. Question and Answer 18

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