The Future of Immersive, AI-Driven, and Decentralized Technologies in Cybersecurity Education and Cyber Science

This paper addresses the significant gap in cybersecurity education with the rapid technological advancement, such as immersive technologies, decentralized digital platforms, and artificial intelligence advances. The educational programs are not adequately preparing students to confront new cyber challenges. While some technologies (i.e., virtual reality, augmented reality, AI systems, etc.) are increasingly redefining digital interactions and communication, more cyber challenges and opportunities are also developing that must be incorporated into cybersecurity education. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to analyze curricular materials from the top twenty cybersecurity courses, developed ten pedagogical use cases for immersive technologies and Web3, conducted a case study on an AI tutoring system in cybersecurity education, reviewed 137 peer-reviewed publications on cybersafe learning literacy, and consulted with eighteen cybersecurity professionals across various sectors. The findings included identified cyber threats (deepfake avatars and biometric spoofing), improved learning opportunities, and enhanced learners' engagement due to AI-tutoring. Still, the research provides a promising framework to incorporate these advancements into cyber science, including immersive simulations in syllabi as an example of an integrated experience, and interdisciplinary modules in AI ethics and blockchain security. Overall, this work aims to raise a better cybersecurity workforce in order to protect against potential digital threats that continuously evolve, while also addressing and encouraging fairness regarding access to technology and other ethical vectors. Future work should explore how these approaches will be adopted across cultures and the long-term impact of AI tutoring on future professional outcomes.