NEXT STEP: DEVELOPMENT OF CYBER SECURITY COMPETENCE

//Pertti Kuokkanen

ONE CHALLENGE FOR OUR CYBER ENVIRONMENT

The continuously developing ICT platform currently consists of a triad: the fifth generation of mobile telephony (5G), the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). With every new day, the IoT is increasingly present in daily life comprising a network of sensors, devices, machines, and robots. The capabilities of AI grow every day; 5G is also present in our environment more and more. The IoT-AI-5G triad represents the foundation for a change of the current human life paradigm to a new one: a ‘smart human society’, based on innovation. This challenge needs understanding and understanding needs education, which produces competencies.

AIMING FOR EXCELLENCE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SOCIETY

Strong national cyber security requires the necessary skills and broad participation at all levels of society. Producers of digital solutions and services need to be able to make secure devices and services. Citizens, in turn, need to be able to use the services of the digital information society safely, and to identify the risks associated with the use of different devices, products and services.

The content and learning pathways of the education system should be designed in such a way that the education system produces more mature experts for the needs of business and society. In addition, there would be enough opportunities for updating skills and cyber security in specific areas.

DEVELOPMENT OF CYBER SECURITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The planning of cybersecurity education considers the cybersecurity competence needs of both the business community and public administration. Firstly, early childhood education lays the foundations for children to understand how to use the products and services of the digital society safely.

Secondly, basic education ensures that young people have adequate skills to operate in a digital environment and that they understand and protect themselves from cyber security threats.

Thirdly, high school education expands and deepens these skills, and lays the foundation for industry-specific expertise in higher education. Professional training should, where appropriate, include cyber security issues as part of the basic professional skills in the field. Safe operation in the digital environment and related skills must be integrated into study in a way that is suitable for the profession, regardless of the student and the profession.

Lastly, to develop professional and complementary cyber security expertise, competence paths are planned, which utilize existing content and create new ones if necessary.

International activities cannot be forgotten; joint cyber security training should be considered centrally, regardless of industry. It is good to utilize virtual implementations and other cost-effective solutions when organizing trainings.

STRENGTHENING COOPERATION ON CYBER SECURITY EXERCISES

Close co-operation between authorities, industry and organizations in cyber security exercises improves value chains that are critical to the functioning of society. Common cyber training environments are utilized in cyber security training activities, and at the same time the continuity of training activities and cross-administrative guidance are ensured.

CURRENT EDUCATIONAL ASPECTS IN PRACTICE

The formation of cyber competence of education can be provided on condition that the structure and content of its preparation are relevant to modern trends in ICT in education, selection of content and forms of training in accordance with the types of information activities, as well as educational and cognitive activities should be focused on professional education activity. In the conditions of insufficient preparation of teachers for the introduction of cyber courses in the educational process, it is necessary to add tasks related to the formation of cyber literacy of teachers and cyber literacy of students as their professional development. The modern world is quarantined due to the COVID-19 virus, so MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), Claned or other education templates are of interest not only to students but also to teachers. After all, online courses today are an impulse for teachers to learn distance learning technologies that will let them qualitatively prepare future professionals. As most of them do not have experience in developing their own distance learning courses, the procedure for creating and conducting a MOOC or others proved to be a difficult but interesting process. The use of MOOCs to improve the skills of teachers of professional pre-higher education is possible with modern facilities and software, providing the readiness of pedagogical, academic and research staff to master the competencies of media technology, as well as the motivational basis for professional competence of future professionals. Thus, it was found that the MOOC within in-service education for teachers of professional pre-higher education allow to improve not only professional competencies, but also cyber and media education.

AS A RESULT, THE RESILIENCE OF SOCIETY IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED.

To ensure the best effectiveness, the degree studies produced by the cybersecurity education system must be planned in co-operation with various actors and the content of the studies must be regularly updated to meet the needs of different actors. Also considering the needs of basic citizens to update their skills.

Pertti Kuokkanen, Senior adviser, project manager, Colonel (ret), PhD (Politics) and DOM and LEAN certified international expert on Cyber issues. He has over 25 years of experience in change management and training projects in different organizations and a track record with a successful leadership in complex ICT projects and training. He has served as member of organizing committee in the ECCWS and ICCSM and worked as senior advisor at Cyberwatch since 2018. Pertti is currently working as a project manager in Digipool's STRATEGY22 project in Cyberwatch Finland