Cybersecurity and the Visual Learner

Next‑Gen Cybersecurity Training

WHAT HAPPENED

The FBI built a 22,000-square-foot replica town to practice cyber attacks. Equipped with an arcade, furnished houses, hotel, gas station, hospital, and even a courthouse, future agents now have a fun, state-of-the-art way to practice their skills.

I WISH THIS WAS AROUND BACK IN MY DAY

Sometime around 2014, I graduated with my associates in Computer Information Systems. My plan was to graduate and then study Computer Science at the prestigious Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Well, that never happened. I had to take calculus twice and didn’t know what the hell I was doing after the “Hello World” exercise in java class. I still passed, but this was one of many signs I pushed through, believing I could turn myself into a computer programmer if I just tried hard enough.

FORGET HANDS-ON

Networking classes were the worst. For the visual learner, subnets and CIDR ranges are a literal nightmare. Programming was slightly better because you created dice games and pop-up windows, but it was hard to feel passionate about creating something you had no interest in creating.

FUN AND LEARNING

If time travel existed and I could tell my young self only one thing, it would be this: “Learning is easy when you’re having fun.” Now, I’m not saying young me would find value in this simple piece of advice; learning back then was more about getting good grades and the fear of failure.

SENSORY PLAY AND FUN

It could be argued that we’re all visual learners. One of the reasons sensory play is important for a child’s development—touching, hearing, smelling, seeing, tasting—is that the brain lights up from these multiple senses being activated; learning becomes exploration and that novelty makes learning sticky.

So, when cybersecurity becomes visual, it becomes understandable, and when it’s understandable, it becomes actionable. Does it make it more fun? I think so. I also think if young, college me had an arcade to thwart a cyberattack from, networking class wouldn’t have been such a drag. Maybe.