The Collaboratory Experience: The Human Factor in Cybersecurity

Abstract

The Maine Cybersecurity Cluster (MCSC) at the University of Southern Maine in partnership with the University of Maine at Fort Kent, University of Maine at Augusta, and the York County Community College were awarded a two-year National Science Foundation grant during Fall 2014 to pilot an inter-institutional virtual cybersecurity collaborative learning laboratory, or “Collaboratory,” establishing a shared educational environment. The Collaboratory, designed to highlight the interplay of technical and non-technical issues, hosted virtual simulations conducted over three semesters. The simulations challenged students to detect and respond to denial-of-service, data exfiltration, insider threat, and advanced persistent threat scenarios. As importantly, the virtual environment requires students to move beyond their technical expertise and understand the critical nature of human interaction and the importance of social tactics. This environment is providing Maine students across the state with the opportunity to gain practical, collaborative experience in preventing and mitigating cyber-attacks in real-time. This paper delineates the background and benefits of the Virtual Cybersecurity Collaborative Learning Laboratory (VCCLL), or Collaboratory.