SDSU Cyber Security and Intelligence Club, Haiku Inc. Launch New Partnership

As part of a new partnership, the San Diego State University Cyber Security and Intelligence Club and Haiku Inc. are expanding hands-on cybersecurity training tools available to students. Using Haiku Inc.’s “Games that Train,” critical testing and feedback on tactics, tools, and procedures will be available to both cybersecurity and homeland security students to help them develop intelligence skills in a safe, virtual environment. 

Though designed for students studying cybersecurity and homeland security, the initiative is open to all SDSU students. 

“We're excited to help answer the digital call to empower SDSU students, and university colleagues, to think more pointedly about cybersecurity as a career option or research track, especially as the Department of Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and other critical infrastructure partners sound the alarm about the growing cyber talent shortage and aging federal workforce”, said Lance Larson, co-director for the SDSU Graduate Program in Homeland Security and faculty advisor for the club.

Through this initiative, SDSU’s Information Technology (IT) Division will develop a workforce feeder program for SDSU students interested in IT security careers. SDSU will also create a follow-on program for students interested in student employment within the university’s IT division. From there, students will be eligible to earn special Security Sentinel badges, which will qualify them for the opportunity to join the SDSU Security Fellowship.

“World of Haiku is an out-of-the-box transformative platform for developing technical cybersecurity skills. Haiku gives us a way to lower the barriers to entry and then provide great student jobs to exercise these highly sought-after skills,” said SDSU Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technology Jerry Sheehan. 

The partnership will also give way to an industry-first case study to evaluate the effectiveness of Haiku Inc.’s products in teaching students cybersecurity skills. Beginning in January 2023, the study will start with determining an incoming student's baseline cybersecurity knowledge and then comparing it to their aptitude after using the product set. 

Students also will be able to utilize and provide feedback on Haiku Inc’s products including the cybersecurity game, World of Haiku, and a live cyber range, Haiku Pro. 

World of Haiku is an RPG (Role Playing Game) that trains players in specific cybersecurity skills which align with Certified Ethical Hacker training. With each mission, students understand how the Linux operating system works and how to control such tools as JohnTheRipper, Hydra, Nmap, Ping, and SSH.

Haiku Pro is a revolutionary new application that uses engaging, real-world experiences and settings to help students develop marketable cybersecurity skills. Haiku Pro includes the Skillz resume, which allows the students to demonstrate to employers the actual hours they have spent performing actual cybersecurity commands. It also includes the Job Connect feature, which will help job placement by matching students to jobs that require the specific skills they have developed.

“We built our Haiku product suite by studying the ways in which video games teach skills and repurposing those methods to teach hands-on cybersecurity skills. By doing this we’ve made cybersecurity training far more accessible and attainable,” said Haiku Inc. founder and CEO Eric Basu. “By partnering with a world-class university, such as SDSU, we’re able to pair our hands-on skill training with SDSU’s amazing instructors and best-in-class curriculum to help students attain high-paying careers.”