Cybersecurity Teaching through Gamification: Aligning Training Resources to our Syllabus

Abstract

A shortage in Cybersecurity professionals is happening. Uni-versities that offer IT related courses had implemented at least one class related with information security or cybersecurity, we believe that the training and experience gained by students during the term could be improved by using gamification. Gamification was defined as the use of game design elements in non-game contexts, in this context we use game design elements to help the learning process. Gamification has gained attention recently because it had shown that it can achieve positive results most of the time. In this work we offer a classification taxonomy for cybersecurity training resources based on gamification, then we collect and classify a list of training resources that can be used in cybersecurity lecturing. Finally we align some of these resources to the content of our syllabus in Polytechnic Universities system, so instructors and lecturers could improve the learning process for students. We also expect to raise interest on cybersecurity field from students, so we can help to minimize the professional shortage.