Assessing the cross-disciplinary accessibility of CyBOK

Conference item

This study assesses the applicability of Cybersecurity Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) as a reference for non-IT disciplines, aiming to ascertain its usability and accessibility beyond the realm of computing. Despite cybersecurity's relevance across diverse fields, its integration into qualifications outside computing appears inconsistent. Through a web-based survey and subsequent online workshops involving participants from varied backgrounds, this research explores the cross-disciplinary perception of CyBOK. The survey aimed to capture participants' perceptions of cybersecurity within their sectors, extracting Key Words and Phrases (KWoPs) relevant to their disciplines. These KWoPs were juxtaposed with CyBOK's Knowledge Areas and Mapping Reference. Subsequent workshops, categorized by sector, aimed to gather detailed insights into CyBOK's usability and pertinence. The findings indicate that CyBOK, in its current presentation, poses challenges for individuals from non-cyber sectors. While participants identify relevant topics, understanding and navigating CyBOK content remains problematic. This study suggests exploring a tailored "sector lens" approach to better integrate cybersecurity into diverse disciplines, using a structured and layered content segmentation to offer accessible versions for different audience groups. Such adaptations, though potentially challenging, could significantly enhance CyBOK's usability and relevance beyond traditional IT domains.

Authors: Furnell, S; Carpent, X; Martin, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Volume: 707
• Pages: 165–179
• Publication date: 2024-06-11
• Acceptance date: 2024-04-12
• Event title: 16th World Conference on Information Security Education (WISE 2024)
• Event location: Edinburgh, Scotland
• Event website: https://www.ifiptc11.org/wg118-wise
• Event start date: 2024-06-12
• Event end date: 2024-06-14
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62918-1_11
• EISSN: 1611-3349
• ISSN: 0302-9743
• Language: English
• Keywords: cross-disciplinarity; accessible knowledge; cybersecurity; CyBOK