Security planning for small businesses: A service-learning course

Experiential, real-world problems results in higher impact learning. However, security planning is a complex process to learn. The Small Business Security Workbook was developed as part of an NSF CCLI grant to enable students to help small businesses in planning for security. The Workbook leads students and small business management through the security planning process, via a top-down (or bottom-up) approach and step-by-step procedures. Students learn concepts in lecture, which are just-in-time reviewed in the Workbook. The students practice with a case study, and then do actual security planning with a community partner. The Workbook is rated highly by both community partners and students in improving security in cooperating organizations. This paper describes the experience that a student team had with the Workbook and their community partner, as well as summarizing the overall perspective of the class.