The National Science Foundation has awarded two Iowa State professors $325,000 to develop instructional materials to teach and raise awareness about computer security and privacy.

“The grant was a push from our side,” said James Davis, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. “We have one of the largest programs in computer security, so we’re aware of the materials available to generate the set of lessons.”

Davis, along with Doug Jacobson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, has begun developing 30 to 40 lessons, called curriculum modules, to provide lesson plans representing key ideas that can be integrated into classes.

“We felt it was important because of the increasing issues of security,” Davis said. “The lack of faculty and materials available is having an effect nationwide.”

The primary goal of the modules is to produce course material on computer security. Other goals include increasing awareness about privacy and security and providing a more in-depth education for those who plan to work in computer networking.

Some of the topics the courses will address include computer literacy, ethics, legal issues, selecting safe passwords, e-mail and sending credit card numbers over the Internet.

“The modules will last 15 minutes to an hour that the faculty can drop into their courses,” Jacobson said. “They’ll deal with introductory issues, technology and issues on the network.”

Jacobson said the government is pushing for more computer security education.

“The network is a critical infrastructure for the nation, and the government wants to make sure it’s protected,” he said. “They’re trying to fight the battle against hackers.”

The ongoing project is expected to take three years to complete, but the first module will be finished by the end of the October. Six other partner schools at the Centers of Excellence in Information Assurance Education plan to assist in the project, but the information will be accessible free of charge.

“The project will be a phased deployment,” Davis said. “We’ll be providing to seven to 10 schools initially, but the modules will be accessible to everyone free of charge.”

However, before the modules are released, both Davis and Jacobson feel people should be aware of the issues pertaining to computer security and privacy.

“People need to understand the lack of privacy on the network,” Davis said. “With all the tracking software available, people could be looking at your passwords or other information while on the network.”

The professors offered a few tips for those students who weren’t taking computer security classes, including picking a password that isn’t easily guessed and changing it periodically.

Also, they urged computer users to be aware of the people around them and hovering over their shoulders while they are typing a password for personal information.