Education in the Field of Cybersecurity at Universities in Poland

Abstract

The article characterizes the current state of development of cybersecurity education in highereducation institutions in Poland. The purpose of the study is to characterize the models of cybersecurity education, to verify the development trends and to attempt to estimate further directionsin higher education for cyber security professionals. The compiled material, obtained frompublicly available databases and curricula, allowed us to formulate conclusions related to theeducation process itself, as well as to the confirmation of skills. A quantitative as well as qualitativeanalysis of the data was carried out, focused on the content of study programs. The profile ofa cybersecurity graduate varies by the leading institution, as well as by the discipline under whichthe education is provided. Recent years show a significant increase in new majors with a socialhumanitiesprofile, which, in addition to technological issues, pay attention to the broad contextof human functioning in cyberspace. An important addition to cybersecurity education, apartfrom formal confirmation of skills during higher education, is the certification process. This is anexample of informal education, but as global experience shows, it is equally important, both fromthe perspective of improving specialized skills and as a formal requirement in the recruitment andemployment search process.