NSW students in secondary schools are set to embrace cyber security with a new course being rolled out in 2023. Developed collaboratively by the NSW Department of Education, Cyber Security NSW and industry, the course is undergoing a pilot and will be delivered next year through the open-source platform Cyber City.
The platform is also expected to include the ‘iSTEM cyber security’ specialised topic, an elective that integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said Cyber City will provide students with hands-on learning and simulations to construct, manage and automate essential infrastructures like hydro dams, power grids and satellite telecommunications on a smart city network within the classroom.
“Cyber City gives teachers the tools to create relevant and engaging lessons for students. This is teaching skills beyond just awareness, empowering the future cyber security workforce of Australia,” she said.
Additionally, Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said Cyber Security NSW played an “important role” in developing the programs and resources for the delivery of the topic.
“From learning the fundamentals of cyber security and its important impact on day-to-day life to building hardware and gaining hands-on experience with coding, we are preparing our students for future careers in cyber,” he said.
“Whether it is learning how data is sent from one device to another, how cyber technology is used in cities and regions, or understanding the importance cyber security has across different parts of people’s lives – as technology grows and evolves, it is important we give students the skills they need for a digital world,” Dominello added.
Cyber Security NSW’s involvement with education in secondary schools comes weeks after it announced its efforts to upskill women’s cyber security skills through sponsorships and providing funding for the not-for-profit Australian Women in Security Network.
