History, STEAM Education, and How They Impact the Cybersecurity Industry

February is a month of American history – and an opportunity to reflect back on where we’ve been and where we’re going. History teaches us important lessons on shifting power structures and fortunes, on how the world’s dynamic has evolved. There’s a lot we can learn from history – which makes me wonder – how much is a child taught about history? History is obviously a subject in the modern-day school curriculum, but are children taught how it can help improve the way they think? What’s more – are students who wish to pursue technical career paths aware of how liberal arts subjects (like history) can help them achieve success in their professional lives?

For many students wishing to pursue a technical career, the initial and obvious answer is to start by obtaining a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. This makes logical sense – as these areas act as the foundation to the technology industry, as well as allow us to proactively solve the problems of tomorrow by improving society’s overall quality of life. But what these students don’t know is that STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) education is the type of schooling that will equip them with all the skills they need for a successful career in the technology industry. This is because liberal arts subjects, such as history, art, and literature, all teach creativity, collaboration, and communication. And creativity is the key ingredient for true innovation and problem solving.

Creativity, collaboration, and communication are all vital skills to have for many professions, but what some people don’t realize is just how important they are specifically for the cybersecurity industry. The threat landscape is more unique and advanced now more than ever before, and it requires cybersecurity professionals to be adaptive, to think outside of the box, and to problem solve using creative thinking. Threat hunting itself is as much of an art as it is a science, and modern cyber defenders must understand that if they’re to succeed against cybercrime.

If there’s anything history has taught us, is it that we have to learn and adapt from the past. In order to help our industry improve, current cybersecurity professionals need to encourage the students of tomorrow to pursue a STEAM education. Only by finding the perfect synergy between both artistic and technical schools of thought, we can help form potentially the greatest generation of threat hunters we’ve seen yet.

What are your thoughts on STEAM education? And how do you think creativity affects threat hunting?

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