Challenges and opportunities of teaching cybersecurity in UK university computing programmes

Developing the required cybersecurity competencies in computing-related university-level degree programmes can be challenging, across multiple aspects and dimensions. The demand for cybersecurity expertise—in the UK and internationally—is significant, but such demand is not only limited to these specialists or specialist areas; wider and deeper expertise is needed across a range of technical and cognate areas to ensure all software, systems and services are designed, developed, built, and tested securely, and indeed maintained appropriately to continue to remain secure in the future. This chapter critically examines some of these issues by exploring the challenges presented in embedding cybersecurity education within computing-related higher education programmes in the UK, and especially how professional body accreditation is increasingly shaping this demand. In particular, we present a collection of UK-based case studies on how these challenges have been successfully identified and addressed, reflecting the diversity, flexibility and inclusivity of higher education provision across the UK. Through these case studies, recommendations are formulated across the research-policy-practice continuum related to innovative and effective learning, teaching and assessment, as well as areas for future research and development