Slides from a webinar presented Oct. 19, 2023 by Capitol Technology University and featuring Dr. William Butler, discussing cyber education challenges in 2024.

1. 2024: A Year of
Challenge to Cyber
Education in America
Presented by Dr. William “Bill” Butler
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3. Kimberly Mentzell
CWC Leadership Series Host
1. About Capitol Technology University
2. Session Pointers
3. The Center for Women in Cyber
4. About the Presenter
5. Presentation
6. Q & A
7. Upcoming Webinars in the CWC Series
8. Recording, Slides, Certificate
Agenda
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4. About
Established in 1927, we are
one of the few private
Universities in the U.S.
specifically dedicated to
STEM-Based
academic programs. The
University offers degrees at
the Associate, Bachelor,
Master, and Doctoral levels
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5. • We will answer questions at the conclusion of the presentation. At any time
you can post a question in the text chat and we will answer as many as we
can.
• Microphones and webcams are not activated for participants.
• A link to the recording and to the slides will be sent to all registrants and
available on our webinar web page.
• A participation certificate is available by request for both Live Session and On
Demand viewers.
Session Pointers
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7. 2024: A Year of
Challenge to Cyber
Education in America
Presented by Dr. William “Bill” Butler
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8. About the presenter: Dr. William Butler
• VP of Academic Affairs at Capitol
• Former Cybersecurity Chair—”Best Cybersecurity Higher Education
Program” (SC Media)
• Named “Best Cybersecurity Educator” (SC Media)
• Networking and IT Network Engineer
• Colonel (ret). U.S. Marine Corps. 30 years service (Active/Reserve)
• Active with National Institute of Standards and Technology Cloud
Computing Cybersecurity Forum Working Group (NIST CCSFWG)
• National CyberWatch Center Curriculum Taskforce
• Degrees from Brenau University, Marine Corps University, U.S.
Army War College, National Defense University, University of
Maryland and Capitol Technology University
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10. Agenda
Higher education in the field of cyber
faces many challenges – and these
challenges continue to grow as our
society increasingly relies on the use of
technology. With the evolution of AI,
advancements in machine learning, and
prevalence of cybercrime, the need for
educated professionals with
cybersecurity expertise is crucial.

11. Challenges to our Economy
• Disruptive Technological advances
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Adversarial
• Unintended consequences on society
• Fairness in Algorithms
• Evolving Global Cyber Threat
• Supply Chain Assurance (Chips, Pharma, ect..)
• A shortage of Talent
• Aging workforce (zero birth rates)
• Location mismatch
• Skills mismatch
• Shift back to the office (much resistance)
• Climate Change
• USMC shifted to a littoral focus a decade ago
• Agriculture
• Shifting Weather patterns (droughts and flooding)
• Population displacement

12. Challenges to our Education
• Quantum Computing
• Machine learning, Modeling, Cryptanalysis
• Quantum Resistant Algorithms
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• LLM, graphics, videos, audio, coding and verification, more to follow
• Integrate into cyber defense
• Blockchain Technologies
• Transition to Digital Currency and Wallets
• Virtual and Augmented Reality
• Training, Manufacturing, Gaming
• Demonstrating Competency
• Must Prove the value of a College Education (ROI)
• Declining College Population(s)
• Institutions Competing for a smaller US population
• Reduction in entry level jobs requiring college degree
• IBM, State of Maryland, LifePoint Health, etc
• Educating the Educators
• Pipeline depends on more educators (k-12)
• Non-STEM Teachers

13. Demonstrating Competency
Competency is the ability for the individual to complete a
task or tasks within the context of a work role.
Demand for cybersecurity professionals across the US
continues to outpace the supply of competent recruits
Example 5: “An entry-level community college student will
troubleshoot system hardware and software (T0237) in the
role of a technical support specialist and given a computer
connected to the network and internet. They will work
without the aid of reference, without consulting others, and
should be able to download antivirus/malware software, scan
computer drives and remove viruses and malware from the
system.”
* NCAE-C Evidencing Competency W/G

14. Declining College Population(s)
The labor shortage is pushing American colleges into
crisis, with the plunge in enrollment the worst ever
recorded
• The Military has experienced a severely declining
number of eligible recruits for the Last 10 years
• COVID-19 declines in enrollments still persistent
• Some questioning the value of s college education
versus the expense (ROI)
• Fortune Magazine (march, 2023)

15. Why Employers Must Stop Requiring
College Degrees
For Middle-Skill Jobs
• Reduction in entry level jobs requiring a college degree
(IBM, State of Maryland, Lifepoint Health, etc.)
• College-degree requirements have locked out millions of
Americans from good-paying jobs.
• Persistent labor shortages are causing more and more
companies to drop degree requirements.
• Forbes (2017)

16. New Trends
Remote Learning: Transition to online classes and remote learning environments.
Gamification: Engaging students through gamified learning experiences.
Continuous Skill Development: Emphasis on continuous learning to keep up with evolving
cyber threats.
Real-World Simulations: Utilizing real-world scenarios to provide hands-on experience.
Industry-Academia Collaboration: Collaborations between educational institutions and the
industry to ensure a relevant curriculum.
Automated Assessment Platforms: Using AI and machine learning for personalized
assessments and feedback.
Ethical Hacking Education: Integrating ethical hacking and responsible disclosure into the
curriculum.
Regulatory Compliance and Legal Education: Incorporating legal frameworks and compliance
standards in cyber education.
Inclusion and Diversity: Promoting a diverse learning environment and addressing the gender
gap in cybersecurity education.

17. Educating the Educators
Capacity cannot increase without more educators
Must train non-STEM educators to teach Cyber
Provide constant training
*Capitol offers a MEd and EdD in Cyber Science
These degrees are tailored for current educators who wish to
advance their knowledge and opportunities in teaching and
research, as well as new industry professionals with a desire to
teach at the highest levels and contribute to the body of
knowledge in the diverse field of Cyber Science.

18. Conclusion
I DON’T HAVE THE ANSWERS
• Reduce the cost of education (OER, CBE, creative funding)
• Multiple entry points into education (lifetime learning)
• Demonstrate competency to employers
• Micro credentials (Just in time knowledge)
• Apprenticeship(s)
INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, AND ACADEMIA
MUST SOLVE TOGETHER

19. Questions
Dr. William Butler
VP Academic Affairs
whbutler@captechu.edu
240-965-2458

20. University at Albany, School of
Business
Center for Information Forensics and
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Artificial Intelligence
Future of Learning: Students
• Personalized Learning Assistants can provide
real-time support to students for instance, AI-
based feedback systems can offer constructive
critiques on student writing, which can help
students fine-tune their writing skills.
• Students feel vulnerable in classrooms due to
fear of judgment from their peers that holds
them back from fully engaging in many contexts
– they will be more more willing to engage, take
risks, and be vulnerable with an AI assistant
• AI based learning could reduce disparity among
students especially by providing adaptive
learning capability and change the complexity
of the material to match the capability of the
student
• Students with learning disabilities can have
specially crafted learning assistants that adapt
to their specific disability
• Enhance learning by providing creative
activities that enhance rote learning by
contextualizing the learning
Pataranutaporn, P., Danry, V., Leong, J. et al. AI-generated
characters for supporting personalized learning and well-being. Nat
Mach Intell 3, 1013–1022 (2021).

21. University at Albany, School of
Business
Center for Information Forensics and
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Artificial Intelligence
Future of Learning: Educators
• Teachers spend about 49% of their time engaging with students which can be
increased by reducing other work, e.g., student grading, corresponding with parents,
generating progress reports
• Enhance quality of learning, e.g., creating engaging lesson plans, providing support to
students at all hours
• Help disseminate learning to larger number of students with support from AI

22. University at Albany, School of
Business
Center for Information Forensics and
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Artificial Intelligence
Future of Learning: Teaching AI
• A recent study by Brookings shows that while the US has a lead in technology, it
is falling behind in workforce readiness for AI
• We need to work fast to revamp our education system to infuse AI in the
curriculum across the board (computer science, business, social sciences, etc.)
• AI will have a drastic impact on society and ethics should be inculcated right
from the inception as we proliferate AI education on campuses
https://www.brookings.edu/artic
les/how-the-u-s-can-dominate-
in-the-race-to-national-ai-
supremacy/

23. Upcoming Webinars
in the CWC Leadership Series
Data Governance and
Compliance in the
Ubiquitous Digital World
December 14
Dr. Diane Janosek
Banking on Security:
Transferring Cybersecurity
Culture to SMBs
November 16
Tom Vazdar (PhD Cand.)
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www.captechu.edu/webinar-series

24. To Register for Webinars or
View On Demand Webinars:
www.captechu.edu/webinar-series
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25. Join us for Master’s and Doctoral
Virtual Information Sessions. Held
monthly. To learn more:
Email: gradadmit@captechu.edu •
Phone: 1- 800-950-1992
Capitol Offers 20 degrees from the
Associate to Doctoral level related to
this webinar:
For more information about degrees
and certificates offered in Cyber and
Information Security, visit
Captechu.edu/fields-of-study
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26. Recording, Slides & Certificate
A copy of the slides and a link
to the recording will be sent to
all registrants. Watch for an
email
A Certificate of Completion is
available upon request to
both live session and On
Demand viewers
Simply reply to the email
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27. Thank You!
This concludes today’s webinar
Watch for a follow up email that contains:
1. How to get a Participation Certificate
(Available by request for both Live Session
and On Demand viewers)
2. Link to the webinar recording and slides
Thanks for Joining Us!
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