Presented by Casey O’Brien, Executive Director, National CyberWatch Center
Hosted by Jim Kowatch, CEO, Infosec Learning

Sponsored by Infosec Learning

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In 2014, there were 1 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally. By 2021, it’s estimated that number will grow to 3.5 million. Exposing K-12 students to cybersecurity through a well-designed curriculum and set of activities will help alleviate the shortage by increasing the interest and skills of the new generation. Unfortunately, current secondary school curricula across the country leave students and educators with minimal or no exposure to cybersecurity topics.

Many K-12 school districts are looking for ways to create cybersecurity training programs. This edWebinar focuses on best practices for teaching and learning cybersecurity skills, including the following learning objectives:

• What skills does the instructor need to teach an introductory cybersecurity course?
• What are some best practices for teaching an introductory cybersecurity course?
• Where can instructors get help teaching their courses?
• What tools/resources do students and instructors need to teach an introductory cybersecurity course?

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to middle school through higher education teachers and school and district leaders.

About the Presenter

Casey W. O’Brien serves as Executive Director and Principal Investigator of the National CyberWatch Center, a cybersecurity education and research consortium focused on advancing information security education and strengthening the national workforce. Casey has more than 25 years of information security and large-scale IT implementation and project management experience in challenging and cutting-edge public and private sector environments. Casey’s teaching and research interests include: practice-based education and training solutions that combine accelerated learning programs, validated assessments, instruction, practice labs, and challenge scenarios to improve information security talent management in organizations; rapid deployment of customizable and adaptive curriculum that raises learner capability maturity in foundational security concepts, tactics, techniques, and procedures; and formative credentialing solutions that increase the number of capable professionals. Casey is the technical editor of five textbooks: Ethical Hacking & Systems Defense, Linux Server Fundamentals, Information Security Fundamentals, Introduction to Scripting, and Networking Fundamentals. Casey earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of St. Thomas and an M.A. in psychology from Duquesne University.

About the Host

A University of Pittsburgh graduate, James Kowatch has worked in the training, virtualization, and curriculum development business for 16 years. Initially, with Pearson Education, Jim managed training, education, and solutions development for the northeast United States. After that, he founded Infosec Learning to develop a better and more scalable way to deliver computer, cyber, and information security training. Jim currently lives in Baltimore, MD and manages the day to day operations of Infosec Learning and the 180 organizations that they serve.

Join the Technology in Schools community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Infosec Learning provides learning institutions with turn-key, innovative, and impactful virtual labs for hands-on, personalized learning. We have over 200 labs. The National Cyberwatch Center is a consortium of institutions focused on collaborative efforts to advance Information Security education and strengthen the national cybersecurity workforce.