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An experiential learning cybersecurity project for multiple STEM undergraduates

The human element is often regarded as the weakest link in cybersecurity, yet education efforts focus primarily on the technical aspects of cybersecurity and downplay the relevance of the human factor. One way to exploit this human vulnerability is through social engineering, in which cybercriminals utilize persuasion and manipulation to get targets to reveal private information. This paper shares an educator’s efforts to engage undergraduate students from multiple STEM disciplines in a hands-on social engineering project across the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. This activity was designed using the experiential learning framework that promotes “learning by doing.” The authors share the experiences and challenges of both the students and the educator in conducting this learning exercise. In addition, this paper details aspects of designing multidisciplinary hands-on projects that consider meeting university ethics standards; generating relevant project instructions and rubrics; engaging in and promoting cross-disciplinary STEM dialog; and evaluating student engagement and learning.