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Pensacola State College
“The News The Students Choose.”
February 2016
Expanded cybersecurity program to start in fall
Bachelor’s program to train next generation of computer security professionals
By Brad Andrews
W
hat do Target, JP Morgan, Home Depot and the US Government’s Office of Personnel Management all have in common? These corporations have been breached by hackers in the past few years; in each case millions of individual’s personal information had been stolen. These thefts exposed their victims to circumstances from identity theft to blackmail. Unfortunately, these events are only a few examples of the thousands of cybersecurity breaches that occur each year affecting millions of people around the world. Currently there is a critical lack of qualified cybersecurity professionals that can protect the public from these threats. Pensacola State College’s new four year cyber security program will help fill some of these critical vacancies. In the summer of 2016, PSC will start its much anticipated Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity (CYSC-BAS) program. This degree will serve as a continuation of the school’s current two year program, which will produce graduates capable of serving in a variety of professional information security roles at a vast array of private and public employers. Cybersecurity is important, but what is it exactly
Program Coordinator Robert Pratten (right) and student Michael Moore (left) look forward to PSC’s expanded program.
Students Brandon Furbush (left) and Jeremy Eckert (right) practice cybersecurity techniques. PHOTOS BY BARA’AH JARAISEH
and why is it so important? Known as computer security, it is the protection of information systems such as computers, smartphones, etc. from theft or damage to the hardware. Vulnerable systems that can be compromised extend beyond the traditional consumer information on a corporate network. The majority of aspects of modern society are computer controlled to some degree. National power grids, critical medical equipment and air traffic control systems are but a few of the systems that rely heavily on computers. A serious cyber attack could result in dire consequences, including the loss of countless lives. The CYSC-BAS program is an intense hands-on program designed to teach students a full range of computer security topics, including network security, risk management, security testing and cyber forensics. The program has been designed around the Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification (CISSP), considered the gold standard of security certifications by the industry. Unlike the certification which teaches just the “how” of cybersecurity, the bachelor program will teach the “why” of cybersecurity as well. Students will
become intimately familiar with the concepts behind the rules and standards set forth by industry and government regulations. This knowledge will allow the program’s graduates to be more flexible in designing security solutions and provide more value to potential employers. The hands-on nature of the program is emphasized heavily by Program Coordinator and instructor Robert Pratten.“Students will learn how to hack and defend against hacking, using computers both onsite and over the Internet.” said Pratten. Pratten and his students believe that this handson training and experience is what will set graduates apart from other job applicants that learned computer security from just reading books in order to pass a certification test. Graduates of the program will leave the school with not only a bachelor’s degree, but also 19 separate computer security certifications. These certifications are all recognized industry-wide and will provide additional verification and validation of the graduate’s skills and abilities. Furthermore, graduates that wish to continue their academic training are eligible to attend graduate cybersecurity programs at other schools See Cybersecurity, Page 3