Teaching cyber security to non-tech students
| Published date | 01 May 2019 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0263395718760960 |
| Date | 01 May 2019 |
| Subject Matter | Learning and Teaching in Politics and International Studies |
https://doi.org/10.1177/0263395718760960
Politics
2019, Vol. 39(2) 252 –265
© The Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/0263395718760960
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Teaching cyber security to
non-tech students
Bela Arora
University of South Wales, UK
Abstract
The majority of cyber security education and training has been based in computer science
departments, but we are now seeing the agenda filtering into the political science and international
studies curriculum. There exists a challenge in presenting the topic in a non-technical and engaging
way. This article will explore the use of Hydra Minerva environment, commonly used in Police
Sciences, to facilitate simulations that bring to life the challenges of incident management while
enhancing the employability skills of the students. Hydra Minerva facilities offer an alternative to
traditional classroom simulations and computer-assisted scenarios that can be invaluable across
the curriculum.
Keywords
cyber security, Hydra Minerva, incident management, simulation
Received: 26th December 2016; Accepted: 1st December 2017
Introduction
Cyber security is a rapidly growing area of study. It is also one of the fastest developing
spheres of challenge for organisations and a thriving area of the graduate recruitment
market; however, there is an enduring public perception that the field is only accessible to
computer science graduates. There is a clear need for graduates with skills in penetration
testing to identify system vulnerabilities, but there is now greater recognition that an
effective cyber security strategy requires engagement from people at all levels of the
organisation with a variety of skills in order to prevent or manage critical incidents.
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) commissioned
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to survey companies across the United Kingdom on
cyber security incidents and emerging trends. The 2015 snapshot is illuminating. The
survey asked companies about cyber security breaches, trends in the use of technology,
and trends in information security (BIS, 2015). The survey highlights that 50% of the
worst breaches in 2015 were caused by ‘inadvertent human error’ which was a 31%
increase in 2014. Therefore, one could argue that the softest target and main conduit for
Corresponding author:
Bela Arora, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Business and Society, University of South
Wales, CF37 1DL Pontypridd, Wales, UK.
Email: bela.arora@southwales.ac.uk
760960POL0010.1177/0263395718760960PoliticsArora
research-article2018
Learning and Teaching in Politics and
International Studies
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