Cybersecurity Capacity in Midwest SMEs: A Computing Curriculum that Fits a 40-Person Firm

Abstract

National cyber curricula assume a SOC. Most Minnesota employers in Frontier’s computing programmes have a shared IT person. This paper reports a module built around backup, identity, vendor risk and incident calling-trees. Students implemented a one-page incident card at their firms more often than they implemented a ‘zero trust architecture’ slide. Frontier Innovation University computing should keep teaching the 40-person firm. A U.S. digital-and-campus computing school that only mimics coastal tech campuses will miss the regional labour market.