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Cybersecurity workforce development is the key to protecting information and information systems, and yet more than 30% of companies are short on security expertise. To address this need, the current authors have developed four cybersecurity education games to teach social engineering, secure online behavior, cyber defense methods, and cybersecurity first principles. These games are intended to recruit the next generation cybersecurity workforce by developing an innovative cybersecurity curriculum and pedagogical methods to provide high school students with hands-on activities in a game-based learning environment. Purdue University Northwest (PNW) offered high school summer camps for 181 high school students in June of 2016 and June of 2017. Out of 181 high school participants, 107 were underrepresented minority students, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans. To evaluate the effectiveness of the cybersecurity education games, post-camp surveys were conducted with 154 camp participants. The survey results indicated that the games were very effective in cybersecurity awareness training. Furthermore, the cybersecurity education games were more effective for male students than female students in raising student interest in computer science and cybersecurity.
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This content will become publicly available on November 14, 2026
Cybersecurity Education with Generative AI: Creating Interactive Labs from Microelectronic Fundamentals to IoT Security Exploitation
Creating engaging cybersecurity education materials typically requires months of development time and specialized expertise. This paper describes how we used generative AI to address this challenge. We utilized Claude AI to generate a complete interactive platform that teaches students basic microelectronics through IoT hacking. Through iterative prompting, we generated more than 15,000 lines of functional code, including interactive visualizations, Python security tools, and gamified quizzes with real-time leaderboards. The curriculum guides students through the evolution of computing—from vacuum tubes to modern IoT devices—then helps them apply this foundation to discover real vulnerabilities. We implemented this platform at a GenCyber summer camp with 40 participants, where students identified actual security issues in AmpliPi audio systems—opensource network audio devices designed for multi-room audio distribution—including password weaknesses and denial of service flaws. The entire development process took only three weeks instead of the typical several months. The AI produced quality educational content, although we reviewed everything for technical accuracy and ethical considerations. During the camp, students remained engaged through competitive elements and hands-on labs, learning both theoretical concepts and practical skills. The students used AI-generated tools, including working implementations of SlowLoris and dictionary attacks, to test real systems. Our experience demonstrates that generative AI can efficiently create effective cybersecurity education materials that remain technically current. All materials are publicly available on GitHub for educational use. This approach could help educators stay on track with the rapidly evolving technology despite traditional curriculum development constraints.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2146280
- PAR ID:
- 10651646
- Publisher / Repository:
- Journal of The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of the Colloquium for Information System Security Education
- ISSN:
- 2641-4546
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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