Where is intellectual property in information security education?

Abstract

Information Security programs are on the rise in colleges and universities, but the curricula are lacking a vital aspect of the information security professional: Intellectual Property. Intellectual Property (IP) is needed in a field that merges current applications and technology, yet is not often taught. IP encompasses original thought, invention, and progress; the three traditional areas of IP are copyrights, trademarks, and patents. An information security professional cannot protect his or her interest, or the interests of the company, whether it be an invention, expression of idea, or some other non-tangible property, without understanding these three IP areas. Information security educators should understand that IP has not been incorporated into the disciplines, but easily could be. Educators should also note that by the lack of IP instruction, the graduates are ignorant as to the protection of creations. This impacts their futures as they will be entering the workplace, and without IP knowledge they may not protect their or the company's rights. This paper, written by a patent agent and patent attorney, both holding doctorate degrees in computer science and electrical engineering, respectively, will introduce the basic concepts of intellectual property and show ways to introduce IP into an information security curriculum.