2026 Virginia Cybersecurity Education Conference

Do you currently incorporate the PTSA (Packet Tracer Skills Assessment) into your Cisco Networking Academy courses? If so, consider attending a session designed to introduce you to its latest updates and enhancements. Participants will explore the new features of the tool, gain insight into the improved scoring reports, and learn how to efficiently access and implement these resources within their courses. The PTSA is integrated into all three CCNA courses, as well as the Network Security curriculum, making it a versatile and widely applicable assessment option. It serves as an effective alternative for evaluating student skills, particularly in situations where access to physical networking equipment is limited or unavailable. By leveraging this tool, instructors can provide meaningful, hands-on assessment experiences in a virtual environment while still maintaining alignment with course objectives and industry standards.

Cybersecurity is the only subject we all agree matters but somehow we keep calling it optional. This session is the argument for why it should be a mandatory subject, and what it actually looks like.

Drawing from work across Virginia public schools, the University of Mary Washington, Virginia Commonwealth University, The White House Communication Agency, Microsoft and Nehlos a Cybersecurity company, this session makes the case that cybersecurity belongs in the core curriculum, not as a specialty track for students who already know to look for it, but as a foundational skill alongside reading, writing, and math. The workforce shortage is real. The equity gap is real. Every graduate, will work in environments where basic cyber literacy is non-negotiable. We just haven't updated the syllabus to reflect that yet.

Attendees will walk through practical models for K–12 integration, community college pathways, and higher education general education requirements, along with work-based learning bridges that connect mandatory coursework to industry certification and real employment pipelines.This session is designed for K–12 educators, curriculum coordinators, higher education faculty, and workforce development professionals who are ready to stop having the same conversation and start building something different.

CyberSafe AI is an engaging, game-based learning experience to help students develop knowledge and skills needed to become safe, responsible, and critical users of artificial intelligence (AI). Developed by the Virginia and U.S. Cyber Range at Virginia Tech, CyberSafe AI introduces learners to the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI through interactive scenarios, real-world examples, and game-based challenges.

Cybersecurity as we know it today did not emerge from boardrooms, compliance frameworks, or certification bodies. It began out of hobbyist curiosity, from the hacker culture and Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT emerging during the 1950s, the phone phreaking subcultures of the 1970s, and the early computer hacker scene spanning meetups, bulletin boards, and zines of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phrack and 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. Such early hackers were characterized by a drive to understand systems deeply, challenge assumptions, and push boundaries, all qualities that are increasingly difficult to find in today's structured, credential-driven cybersecurity education and professional landscape.

This session invites educators and industry professionals to reflect together on what has been gained and lost through the process of professionalizing cybersecurity as we look to our future. Drawing on the histories of groups such as the Legion of Doom and Masters of Deception as ethical case studies, and tracing the cultural lineage from early hacker communities through cyberpunk aesthetics in popular media, the session argues that curiosity, critical thinking, and a willingness to question authority are not “soft skills.” Rather, they are foundational competencies the field cannot afford to undervalue and can reclaim in productive ways.

Participants will explore together how cybersecurity history and hacker mindset can be meaningfully integrated into contemporary curricula, what it looks like to teach students to think like hackers within an ethical practice, and how the field might recover a culture of genuine inquiry and curiosity without abandoning professional rigor.

Looking for a streamlined way to bring Virginia Cyber Range labs into your Canvas courses? This session is designed for instructors who want to incorporate hands-on cybersecurity experiences while keeping course design efficient, organized, and student-friendly.

Participants will follow a step-by-step walkthrough of how to access the Virginia Cyber Range, navigate instructor resources, select appropriate virtual machine environments, and integrate labs directly into Canvas. Using ITN260 – Network Security Basics as a model, this session demonstrates how to embed labs, structure modules, and create a clean, intuitive learning experience without overcomplicating course setup.

The focus is on practical implementation and time-saving strategies that can be applied immediately. Attendees will leave with a ready-to-use Canvas module structure, a clear integration workflow, and access to shared resources that can be quickly adapted for their own courses.

Ideal for instructors looking to enhance or refine their use of the Virginia Cyber Range in Canvas.

Persistent disparities in access to cybersecurity learning opportunities continue to limit participation among students in rural communities. Analysis of national and regional trends in cyber competition participation (an increasingly important avenue for applied cybersecurity education) reveals significantly lower engagement from rural students compared to their urban peers. These gaps reflect broader challenges, including limited instructional resources, reduced exposure to career pathways, and lower teacher capacity in specialized content areas. Targeted, gamified interventions offer a scalable approach to addressing these inequities. By adapting competition-based models into structured, classroom-ready experiences, educators can introduce accessible entry points that build foundational skills while sustaining student engagement. When paired with intentional curriculum design and supports that strengthen teacher efficacy, these interventions can extend beyond isolated activities to form coherent pathways in cybersecurity education.
Findings from implemented programs in rural districts demonstrate the potential for such approaches to increase participation, improve student confidence, and catalyze broader community engagement. Evidence from these case studies highlights how small, strategically designed interventions can evolve into sustainable, community-wide cybersecurity initiatives that connect K–12 education with local workforce development needs. This work contributes practical insights for expanding equitable access and strengthening cybersecurity education ecosystems in underserved regions.