Reconceptualizing Cybersecurity Tools as Educational Actors in the Posthuman Era

A postphenomenological analysis of cybersecurity tools as co-agential actors in education, using John the Ripper as a case study.
Research Papers
Cybersecurity Education
Posthuman Theory
Author
Affiliation

Ryan Straight

University of Arizona

Published

Thursday, July 18, 2024

Doi

10.21125/edulearn.2024.2365

Abstract

During the rapid explosion of AI and the deepening integration of technology in our lives and learning processes, this paper explores a concrete application of Adams and Thompson’s (2011) “posthuman inquiry” framework to John the Ripper, a widely-used security auditing tool in cybersecurity and cybersecurity education. This framework, challenging traditional human-centric views and emphasizing the intra-action of diverse actors, is especially useful for examining how technologies transform from mere tools to co-learners. By employing methods grounded in postphenomenology and Actor Network Theory, and harnessing autoethnographic approaches, this study seeks to apply the posthuman inquiry heuristics to “interview” John the Ripper and present the results. This process aims to uncover the software’s agential role not just as an educational instrument, but as an active participant in the learning experience.

Research Significance

This paper makes several key contributions to the field of cybersecurity education:

  1. Applies posthuman inquiry framework to cybersecurity education tools
  2. Demonstrates how security tools can be understood as co-agential actors
  3. Provides a theoretical foundation for understanding human-tool relationships in cybersecurity education
  4. Offers implications for the future of AI integration in educational contexts

Methodology

The study employs: - Postphenomenological analysis - Actor Network Theory - Autoethnographic approaches - Adams and Thompson’s posthuman inquiry framework

Key Findings

The research reveals how cybersecurity tools like John the Ripper can be understood not just as passive instruments but as active participants in the educational process, with implications for:

  • Tool-mediated learning experiences
  • Human-technology relationships in education
  • The future of AI in cybersecurity education
  • Pedagogical approaches in technical fields

Access the Full Paper

The complete paper is available through the EDULEARN24 Proceedings or can be accessed via DOI: 10.21125/edulearn.2024.2365

Reuse

Citation

BibTeX citation:
@inproceedings{straight2024,
  author = {Straight, Ryan},
  publisher = {IATED},
  title = {Reconceptualizing {Cybersecurity} {Tools} as {Educational}
    {Actors} in the {Posthuman} {Era}},
  booktitle = {EDULEARN24 Proceedings},
  date = {2024},
  url = {https://library.iated.org/view/STRAIGHT2024REC},
  doi = {10.21125/edulearn.2024.2365},
  langid = {en},
  abstract = {During the rapid explosion of AI and the deepening
    integration of technology in our lives and learning processes, this
    paper explores a concrete application of Adams and Thompson’s (2011)
    “posthuman inquiry” framework to John the Ripper, a widely-used
    security auditing tool in cybersecurity and cybersecurity education.
    This framework, challenging traditional human-centric views and
    emphasizing the intra-action of diverse actors, is especially useful
    for examining how technologies transform from mere tools to
    co-learners. By employing methods grounded in postphenomenology and
    Actor Network Theory, and harnessing autoethnographic approaches,
    this study seeks to apply the posthuman inquiry heuristics to
    “interview” John the Ripper and present the results. This process
    aims to uncover the software’s agential role not just as an
    educational instrument, but as an active participant in the learning
    experience.}
}
For attribution, please cite this work as:
Straight, Ryan. 2024. “Reconceptualizing Cybersecurity Tools as Educational Actors in the Posthuman Era.” In EDULEARN24 Proceedings. IATED. https://doi.org/10.21125/edulearn.2024.2365.