Information Security: Audit, Case Study, and Service Learning

University Of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha WI

Investigators

Abstract

Computing - Other (35) The project develops an Information Systems Security course which involves students working with authentic, real projects, including small for-profit or not-for-profit organizations. The course is not focused on technology, such as encryption, malware, intrusion detection, and authentication, but rather on the less technical side of IS security, including policy development, application development, fraud avoidance, and risk management. Such knowledge is useful for security analysts, auditors, and security-oriented systems analysts. Students working with a small organization see a broad picture of how security can be implemented for a constrained problem. This project develops a case study where students work with an ongoing scenario in class through the semester. The case study includes sufficient structure, including PowerPoint slides, an organizational description, skeleton security documents, and lab scenarios. The case study enables students to discuss solutions and to implement one. They work with skeleton documents that can then help them to apply security concepts to a real-world environment. This work is interdisciplinary, bringing together faculty from computer science, accounting and management information systems, to ensure a real business case is considered - and to learn from each other's expertise to provide a broader understanding of the problem. This project benefits the teaching community via a case study developed for active learning labs related to information security, network security, and security design. The program develops comprehensive security materials scaled down and tested for use with small organizations or businesses. Targeted community partners include not-for-profit organizations, which help the underprivileged or minority-owned small businesses.