Pedagogic Challenges in Teaching Cyber Security -- a UK Perspective

Cyber security has become an issue of national concern in the UK, USA and many other countries worldwide. Universities have reacted to this by launching numerous cyber security degree programmes. In this paper we explore the structure of these degrees and in particular highlight the challenges faced by academics teaching on them. We explore the issues relating to student expectations and the CSI effect in students entering cyber security. We highlight the science vs tools debate to bring focus to some of the pedagogic tensions between students/industry and the academics who teach on the degree courses. Cyber security is subject to numerous ethical issues and nowhere is this more so than in a university environment. We analyse some of the ethical teaching related issues in cyber security. This paper will be of interest to professionals in industry as well as academics interested in exploring the shape, flavour and structure of cyber security related degree courses and also the challenges presented to the academics that teach these degrees.