The Need for Cyberethics,

Critical Thinking, & Community

Given these challenges, what we need is a paradigm shift in how we approach cybersecurity education. Instead of solely focusing on the technical aspects, we must emphasize cyberethics and critical thinking. Here’s why:

Cyberethics

Teaching students about the ethical considerations surrounding technology use is crucial. As future leaders and innovators, they must understand the moral implications of their actions in the digital world. Cyberethics education can help them navigate complex issues such as privacy, data protection, and the ethical use of AI. By instilling a strong ethical foundation, we can prepare students to make responsible decisions that go beyond technical knowhow and beyond the classroom.

Critical Thinking

I have been a champion of growth mindset and critical thinking for most of my career as an educator, IT professional, and security subject matter expert. The ability to think critically is invaluable in all walks of life; I would argue more so in security. To defend we must anticipate the behavior of bad actors, probe systems in ways the creator didn’t intend, and be thorough in our approach to protective controls. Students need to be equipped with these thinking skills to analyze and evaluate information, question assumptions, and make informed decisions. Critical thinking fosters resilience and adaptability, enabling students to stay ahead of emerging threats and technologies. It encourages them to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to complex problems. The growth mindset compounds these outcomes and helps them to be curious and want to learn more.

Community

As a classroom teacher, I often found the most effective way to bring challenging, complex, or sometimes downright boring concepts (apologies for the unintended insult, I taught MS sciences and HS social studies) home for my kids was to make it relevant and local. This is to say I made it about them. I adapted the lesson to involve their community, their family, their place, or their culture. I imagine the same to be true for cybersecurity, privacy, and cyberethics.

We need them.

I might be an expert now (arguable, I know), but I know very little about LLMs and the algorithms that make the magic happen. I am not a coder or programmer. I am not a seasoned hacker. We need them. We need your students to protect us all. We should be honest with them: we aren’t doing a great job of protecting them today according to the statistics. I try to instill a sense of duty in my students (and my sons) to protect each other, protect our neighbors, and protect others online. Defending those who may not be able to defend themselves. This is our only hope.

Preparing for the Future

As I imagine the future, it is clear to me that cybersecurity education must evolve. While technical skills are essential, they are not sufficient on their own. Make IT Secure can help by integrating cyberethics and critical thinking into your curriculum, we can help prepare teachers and students for the challenges that lie ahead. We need responsible digital citizens who look out for one another, take ownership of their personal security and privacy posture. We want to make the world safer… make it secure. Thank you for doing what you do… thank you for the often thankless and painful job of teaching kids raised with screens in their hands and constantly connected. I can speak for my industry colleagues when I say, “we want to help.” Let me know what you need and maybe I can make some connections. Make IT Secure is a nonprofit subsidiary of Educating for Leadership and our mission is bring industry professionals together with K-12 to meet the unique challenges of working with young people and tight budgets. We write grants, offer strategic guidance, and provide cutting edge services in creative ways to keep costs low for schools. Let us know if we can help.