Education DCL: EAGER: Enhancing Cybersecurity Awareness of American Indian Farmers and Food Producers: The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska as a Case Study

University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Omaha NE

Investigators

Abstract

As information technology is increasingly integrated into modern farms, the food and agriculture industry has become a focal point for cybercriminals and nation-state actors. With many American Indian farmers and food producers selling farm products directly to their tribe, any potential cybersecurity attack impacting such farmers could have disastrous food security consequences for an entire community. This project creates a more secure workforce in the food and agriculture industry through the design and delivery of a cybersecurity educational and workforce initiative. The project's novelties are a curriculum that focuses on cybersecurity risks and threats in the food and agriculture industry, which also takes into consideration culturally sensitive materials for American Indian farmers and food producers. In addition to the specific curriculum, the project's broader significance and importance are the creation of guidelines and lessons learned for creating and maximizing the delivery of cybersecurity educational content to American Indian farmers and food producers. The project contributes to the growing research on cybersecurity curriculum development and the broader improvement of cybersecurity awareness in the farming and agriculture communities. The first contribution is the development of a ten-module cybersecurity course, mapped to the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. These modules help educate and train American Indian farmers and food producers about cybersecurity practices, risks, and threats in the food and agriculture industry. The second contribution of the project is the creation of guidelines and lessons learned emerging from the delivery of the cybersecurity curriculum to the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, as well as other American Indian Tribes in Nebraska and the surrounding states. Finally, the cybersecurity curriculum is available to the wider community, providing a foundation for future cybersecurity educational initiatives in the farming and agriculture domain. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.