Like Treating the Symptom Rather than the Cause - the Omission of Courses over Terrorism in NSA Designated Institutions

Abstract

The National Security Agency (NSA) awards Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) designations to institutions that commit to producing cybersecurity professionals who will work in careers that reduce vulnerabilities in our national infrastructure. A review of the curricula in the 327 institutions and their degree programs reveal that only two programs offer a required course about terrorism. Given the fluid nature of terrorism and its threat to national infrastructure, the omission is concerning. It is recommended that NSA-certified cybersecurity programs begin implementing educational content that aim to teach about this emerging crime and justice issue. One suggestion is to embrace the interdisciplinary nature of cybersecurity, as exemplified in the success of the Cybersecurity Living and Learning Community (CLLC). Designing courses that educate about the social processes that leads to the growing problem of violence and terror directed towards marginalized communities and our nation\u27s technological infrastructure, is another