Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 11-3-2025

Abstract

The educational realm of higher education cybersecurity curriculum continues to evolve to provide more opportunities for experiential hands-on and work role-related practical applications of technology solutions. Gaining greater competencies is quickly becoming a normal requirement for such programs that are designated by the National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence programs. The work roles of cybersecurity include a variety of knowledge, skills, and abilities, depending on the category of the activity or task. Firewalls have been a staple cybersecurity, network security, and information security device and strategy to protect organization networks and computing environments. This paper will provide details and a description of the effort and project to utilize a professionally available virtual firewall to provide introductory students with an opportunity to get an authentic and practical experience. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate to other faculty interested in holding a firewall class a chance to share and review the process, tools, and implementation used with students that resulted in a positive outcome. This write-up will demonstrate the potential for using virtual firewalls as a learning tool in information technology security learning. In addition, further content is provided as a plan for the next steps and other ideas and technologies that can be used to further the “hands-on” learning of such security technology systems.

Publication Title

Cybersecurity Pedagogy and Practice Journal

First Page Number

51

Last Page Number

66

DOI

https://doi.org/10.62273/BEOJ9082

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