Digital literacy has become crucial for functionality and productivity in academics, work, and everyday community lives. However, easy access to digital technologies, accompanied by limited digital literacy, can expose users to the dangers that lurk in the digital world. Young people, who are frequent users of these technologies yet have less…

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has created an unprecedented opportunity for innovation across industries, but its complexity often presents a steep learning curve for many (Roberts & Candi, 2024; Gunner, 2025). This highlights the need for user-friendly tools that bridge the gap between AI's potential and its practical…

Software vulnerabilities in commercial products are an issue of national importance. The most prevalent breaches are input validation vulnerabilities, and these are easily avoidable. This dissertation contributes to cybersecurity education with a set of hands-on interventions tailored for three CS courses, a set of reflection prompts to encourage…

We present a concrete situation where there is a difference between the theoretical security of a cipher and its limitations when implemented in practice. Specifically, when entering a PIN, smudges on the keypad substantially reduce its security. We show how the number of possible keys in the presence of the "smudge attack" can be…

Curriculum development is currently being done in a variety of ways: individually, with peers, through an academic committee that may or may not have an industry representative, or through workshops. But the current ways of developing curriculum have challenges and inefficiencies, specifically when using groups and committee (logistical…

This paper investigates the integration of blockchain technology into core systems within institutions of higher education, utilizing the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework as a guiding framework. It supplies definitions of key terminology including blockchain, consensus mechanisms, decentralized…

The study helped investigate Peruvian Higher Education Institutions' (PHEI) security posture and how the adoption of modern technology enhanced the operational processes to reduce cyber threats. The purpose of the research was based on research questions to assess access controls effectiveness, infrastructure security gaps, emerging technology…

We present a detailed description of a Cryptography and Computer Security course that has been offered at Knox College for the last 15 years. While the course is roughly divided into two sections, Cryptology and Computer Security, our emphasis here is on the Cryptology section. The course puts the cryptologic material into its historical context…

Private higher educational institutions are at a high risk of cyber-attacks based on the amount of data they consume about students, their families, donors, faculty, and employees. I determined that there was a gap in the body of knowledge concerning how IT leaders in private higher education secure their information assets. The purpose of this…

This study examines cybersecurity awareness in universities by analyzing related research output across different disciplines at the University of Johannesburg. The diffusion of innovation theory is used in this study as a theoretical framework to explain how cybersecurity awareness diffuses across disciplines. The University of Johannesburg…

Amid the ever-increasing number of cyberthreats, cybersecurity degree programs represent a potential growth area for business schools. This study examines undergraduate cybersecurity programs offered by AACSB-accredited business schools in the US. It surveyed 503 AACSB-accredited schools and identified 72 cybersecurity programs. Using the IS2020…

In the "2024 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Cybersecurity and Privacy Edition," a panel of experts agreed that a key practice for advancing the future of higher education cybersecurity and privacy is supporting agency, trust, transparency, and involvement among stakeholders. In fact, these are such important topics for the higher education…

This proposal is to develop a framework for designing a cybersecurity program. The goal of the program is to prepare students graduating from an accredited two-year college for success in cybersecurity careers. Several challenges such as program accreditation, workforce development, and Department of Homeland Security/National Security Agency…

While the cybersecurity landscape continually evolves, with new technologies, attack vectors, and defense mechanisms emerging regularly, cybersecurity certificate programs remain challenged to stay current and relevant, often resulting in the delivery of outdated course content in existing programs. Scholars note that the absence of standardized…

Modern day organizations face a continuous challenge in ensuring that their employees are cognizant with malware and cyber attacks, since it has the potential to cause financial, legal, and reputational damage to them. Current awareness training exists in a multitude of forms to equip employees and organizations to protect themselves against…