Asee peer logo

Cyber-physical Systems Security Introductory Course for STEM Students

Download Paper |

Conference

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access

Location

Virtual On line

Publication Date

June 22, 2020

Start Date

June 22, 2020

End Date

June 26, 2021

Conference Session

Computing and Information Technology Division Technical Session 2

Tagged Division

Computing and Information Technology

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

9

DOI

10.18260/1-2--34366

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/34366

Download Count

526

Paper Authors

biography

Sin Ming Loo Boise State University

visit author page

Sin Ming Loo is a professor at Boise State University with interests in sensor systems and cyber-physical systems security research and education. He is responsible for Hartman Systems Integration and Cyber Lab for Industrial Control Systems laboratories. He holds a joint appointment with Idaho National Lab. He is a member of IEEE/CS, ISSA, Tau Beta Pi, and amateur radio (KI4AKS).
n

visit author page

author page

Liljana Babinkostova

Download Paper |

Abstract

We are witnessing the rapid development and adoption of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). CPS refers to the integration of digital and internetworked components, and physical devices in systems that affect nearly everyone in society. These devices are always connected to the internet. This connectivity gives CPS devices the capability of being in continuous monitoring mode where data and information are delivered to device owners through a proxy server. These capabilities open up all kinds of security issues for a device that has been built with such features with little regard for security considerations. At present, many Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) graduates are not fully comprehending the security impact of device connectivity. STEM students are graduating without awareness of cybersecurity or cyber-physical systems security issues/challenges and without being aware of the security issues related to algorithms or systems they are designing. This state of affairs is a consequence of the fact that security awareness is currently not part of the curriculum. In this paper we highlight a cybersecurity program at Boise State University that includes an introductory class on CPS security. Some topics included in this course are: information technology versus operation technology, cryptography, industrial control systems, smart grid, CAN bus, risk assessment, red versus blue team, and Kali Linux. In this paper, we provide examples on how students’ knowledge of CPS security changes over the course of the program, how students are supported in and out of the classroom towards advancing their knowledge in this field. We also highlight the impact that project-based and team coordinated learning can have on increasing students’ understanding of the fundamentals of CPS security.

Loo, S. M., & Babinkostova, L. (2020, June), Cyber-physical Systems Security Introductory Course for STEM Students Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34366

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2020 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015