EDU: Collaborative: Integrating Embedded Systems Security into Computer Engineering and Science Curricula

With the advancement of technologies, networked devices become ubiquitous in the society. Such devices are not limited to traditional computers and smart phones, but are increasingly extended to cover a wide variety of embedded systems (ES), such as sensors monitoring bridges, electronics controlling the operation of automobiles and industrial equipment, home medicine devices that are constantly reporting patient health information to doctors. While the wide deployment of networked ES significantly benefits various aspects of human life and society at large, it also poses daunting security challenges that can put national security as well as the privacy of ordinary citizens at risk. Adequately addressing such challenges requires advanced technologies to be developed by industries and ES designers as well as users to be well educated about the security related issues. To facilitate technology development and better educate future designers, this project develops curricula focusing on the unique challenges of the emerging ES security, which has not been systemically covered in existing computer security related curricula that emphasize security in computers and the traditional Internet.

This project makes intellectual contributions through the completion of the following objectives: 1) developing course modules (lecture notes, labs and evaluation questionnaire) to introduce ES security in the layers of software, networking, operating system, architecture, and hardware; 2) integrating the developed material into several existing undergraduate courses at PIs' Universities; 3) establishing a unified ES security course with two versions (computer engineering and computer science versions) by integrating the developed course modules; 4) getting the developed material evaluated by an External Advisory/Review Committee; 5) teaching the developed material using both project-based learning and flipped classroom learning; 6) assessing the proposed teaching methods using formative and summative approaches; 7) broadly disseminating the developed material and promoting diversity in ES security education. Material to be developed will reach over 100 students per year, including many minorities and women.