1. “Cool” Cybersecurity Modules: No Grading Required!
Security Towson
Siddharth Kaza
Blair Taylor
This project is supported by the National Science Foundation under grants NSF DUE ,  NSF DUE , NSF DGE , NSF DGE , the GenCyber program, and the Intel Corporation.

2. Who are we?
Towson University is a comprehensive university in the Baltimore region with 23,000+ students.
Focused on undergraduate education
and a leader in Cybersecurity education
B.S. in C.S. with Security, M.S. with Security
1400+ undergraduates, 400+ graduates

4. Security issues begin with Software Vulnerabilities
Vulnerability – weakness in the software
Estimated 1 to 7 defects per thousand lines of code
For large system with millions of lines of code
thousands of vulnerabilities

5. Big Three Buffer overflow Integer overflow Input validation
Three programming errors are responsible for 85% of vulnerabilities (SANS, 2006)

6. Software Security begins with Education
It is our job to teach secure coding

7. “I think the most critically important part of delivering secure systems is raising awareness through security education.”
Bill Gates, Microsoft

8. “The ability to write secure code should be as fundamental to a university computer science undergraduate as basic literacy.”
Matt Bishop, UC Davis

9. The current state … Computer Science in high school
Computer Science AP
CS Principles AP
Tell us more ...
Cybersecurity in K12
Secure coding

10. The current state of undergraduate security education…
Security tracks
Security classes
Reaches only a subset of students
Courses occur late in curriculum
After students have learned fundamental coding and design

11. Secure coding education in a perfect world …
Create a Security Mindset
Early and
Often

12. Security Injections @Towson Cybersecurity Modules
CS0, CS1, CS2
Buffer Overflow
Integer Error
Input Validation …
C++, Java, Python, Pseudocode
Computer Literacy
Phishing
Passwords
Privacy on Social Networks
Cyber4All - Risk management, patient privacy…

13. Security Injections Designed for the millennial generation
Segmented modules
Checkpoint questions
Instant feedback
Designed for the millennial classroom
Auto-graded
Instructor dashboards
Facilitates active teaching
Increased Engagement
and Learning
Increased Adoption

14. Security Injections www.towson.edu/securityinjections
CS0 Java Integer Error

15. Reducing Cognitive Overload
Segmented modules

16. Increasing Engagement
Auto-grading and Instant feedback

17. Auto-grading and Instructor Dashboards
Developed at Towson as a open source project
Django
Wordpress
Used by hundred’s of instructors all over the world
Thousands of students have seen our modules
200,000+ hits on site

18. Impact towson.edu/securityinjections

19. Secure Programming Logic Aimed at High School Girls

20. Why SPLASH? of girls in computing and cybersecurity
The SPLASH program was developed at Towson University to address the challenges of
Increasing interest and participation and
Improving the preparation
of girls in computing and cybersecurity

21. What is SPLASH?

22. More on SPLASH Scholarships available
High school girls enroll in an online section of an introductory programming logic course
SPLASH allows students at schools which lack computer science courses to
Earn 4 college credits
Gain exposure to secure coding skills
Enter college with a foundational knowledge in computer science.
Scholarships available

23. SPLASH COSC 175 – General Computer Science
Started in Fall 2012
Programming logic course
4 credits: 3 hours lecture/1 hour lab
C++
Secure Coding

24. Tools Recorded lectures Onsite support:
Coordinators at each high school
A private social networking support group - Facebook
Peer mentors
, skype, google hangout, one-on-one
C++ compiler

25. Results – the good Over 70 girls
14 Maryland schools, others in Tennessee, Massachusetts, Alaska, California, Oregon, Texas, …
63% received a grade of A or A-
15%, received a grade of B+, B, or B-
8%, received a grade of C or C+
8%, withdrew from the course
6%, received a grade of D or F

26. Results fall 2012-summer 2015
The majority of SPLASH students earned a grade of “B-” or higher.
Most of the SPLASH students finished in the top 10% of all cosc175 students.
Some of the top grades in the course were earned by the SPLASH students.
Many of these girls will pursue majors in computer science and cybersecurity.
Projects!!

27. Projects

28. Challenges Recording the lectures Student workload Dropouts
Recruitment
Marketing
Student support
$$$$

29. Software Security begins with Education