The strengths and challenges of analogical approaches to computer security education

Abstract

When teaching concepts such as computer security, with which students cannot easily identify, it is frequently helpful to use analogies to attempt to map a complex concept to an idea with which the student can identify. While this method works particularly well in the computer security domain, there are associated challenges and limits that must be considered when creating appropriate analogies. This paper defines analogies, provides some specific examples in the computer security realm, and discusses the challenges and limits associated with this approach. © IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2013.