This site is designed to support the development of academic curricula in all APEC economies. In addition it is a clearinghouse for vender information. It sponsored by several APEC economies.

Worldwide, the information security crisis is real. The numbers of individuals capable of unleashing weapons of mass disruption on critical corporate, national and international information infrastructure increases daily. There are not enough professionals being trained and educated to meet the challenge. An under-prepared academic community must rise rapidly to the challenge of this crisis. Academia frequently is accused of moving at glacial pace; to meet this challenge requires revolution. Although the authors have focused much of their proposition on the United States, the problems and solutions are international.

The present need for an increase in the development of information security professionals at all levels cannot be met using the existing educational infrastructure in most nations. Although educational institutions and systems have begun to respond to the need for these professionals, standard academic mechanisms and processes are too slow to satisfy the current and projected demand in a timely fashion. In addition, development of these mechanisms is slowed further by external factors. It is crucial that external resources be added systematically to “prime the pump” and accelerate the process. Failure to respond proactively to a similar need a decade ago has contributed to the general shortage of information technology professionals. We can ill afford to repeat this experience in information security.

The information security education problem is exacerbated by the measurable decrease in output from traditional information systems and computer science programs. Several economies are attempting to address their shortage by changing their respective immigration policies. This does nothing to ameliorate the problem. It merely moves the critical shortage elsewhere.

Colloquium on Information Systems Security Education

The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education (CISSE) includes academia, government, business and industry from many economies to discuss direction of Information Security undergraduate and graduate curriculum, academic disciplines, common requirements, specific knowledge, skills and abilities, and accreditation requirements.

The colloquium recognizes that the protection of information and infrastructures that are used to create, store, process, and communicate information is vital to international productivity and security. To assure the continuity and growth an international information infrastructure-based society, the Colloquium provides a forum for dialog among leading figures from all economies to work in partnership. They work to define current and emerging requirements for Information Security education, and to influence and encourage the development and expansion of Information Security curricula especially at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

The Colloquium participants identified that establishing Information Security curricula and building inter-university resource sharing important.

This will relieve the critical shortage of faculty and equipment. Associated issues include the “virtual university,” multidisciplinary nature of education, curriculum development, accreditation, and intellectual property.

Colloquium Charge

The Colloquium has established a committee / working group to address the shortage of faculty and curricular materials. The charge of the CISSE curriculum subcommittee is “…to encourage the development and expansion of Information Security curricula especially at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This includes:

  • Exchange and dialog
  • Foster curriculum development
  • Best practices
  • Sharing of Information Security resources

Colloquium Action

This working relationship has resulted in two Internet websites associated with APEC dedicated to the distribution curricular materials. Both security.isu.edu and NIATEC.isu.edu have teaching materials and presentations available for non-commercial academic use.

The Colloquium is open to all desiring to advance the state of Information Security and information assurance education. In 2001, the colloquium was opened to full international participation.

Should the activities of the CISSE prove effective there is one remaining problem - how does one establish an internationally accepted standard for Information Security professionals and how does one ensure that they remain current in an ever-changing field. An organization (ISC)² already exists that is addressing this issue.