SEC 480 Experiential Learning in Cybersecurity
This is an experiential learning course that offers students the opportunity to apply the skills, practices, policies and procedures taught in the Computer & Network Security curriculum and apply them in simulated real-world environments via NCL competitions. These games help students develop problem solving and team building skills while learning how to defend against cybersecurity attacks. In addition, the role of the ethical hacker is emphasized in order to ensure that students develop penetration testing skills while also understanding how to use these skills responsibly.
Unlike many industry recognized certifications that measure rote memorization knowledge in the form of multiple-choice test questions, NCL games use performance-based assessment which helps students understand their current level of preparation for the workforce and what they need to focus on to get better: “NCL’s Scouting Reports measure strengths and weaknesses amongst various cybersecurity learning objectives and industry-recognized competencies” (https://www.nationalcyberleague.org/scouting-reports).
Perhaps more so than most other disciplines, cybersecurity threats are constantly changing, and practitioners need to be lifelong learners. The NCL is a learning community that makes competing fun through things like Crypto Kait’s NCL Player Ambassador program (https://cryptokait.com/) that will help students grow and remain involved long after this course is over.