Cybersecurity program will grow workforce to help combat cyber threats

Posted 6/15/22

Our daily lives have become entwined with technology devices. We have smart phones, smart cars, smart appliances.

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Cybersecurity program will grow workforce to help combat cyber threats

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Our daily lives have become entwined with technology devices. We have smart phones, smart cars, smart appliances. We use voice activation devices to play our music, turn on our lights and adjust our air conditioning systems. We don’t often think about all the mayhem that could happen in our life if just one of these things is compromised or hacked.

If we take this analogy into business, the consequences are even more profound. We provide a myriad of personal data to the businesses we frequent, and those same businesses are under constant attack from people whose main goal is to steal that information and use it for their own purposes.

This is why there is such a great need for cybersecurity professionals. They act as both defense and offense. On defense, they identify incoming threats, contain and remove that threat, and contribute to the registry of lessons learned. On offense, cyber teams run simulated attacks to determine a system’s vulnerabilities. This provides important data to the defense team so that they can shore up and further protect their system.

Because of the immense number of hackers and threats, it is important to train cyber professionals. Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) will be part of this training beginning this fall when the college begins its new Associate in Science degree in Cybersecurity Operations. This degree focuses on defense techniques and will increase the skill level of students who want to have a career in cybersecurity. Students will receive hands-on training and sit for industry certifications that can be used to demonstrate competency.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cybersecurity industry is expected to grow 33 percent between 2020 and 2030, and Cyberseek.org reports there are currently approximately 21,000 open cybersecurity jobs in Florida with the total current employed workforce at 47,800. Programs designed for the working professional will also be developed at FSW to assist in growing a body of highly-trained cyber experts.

FSW’s Cybersecurity program is being supported through a generous gift from Brian and Kim Rist and the Rist Family Foundation. The state of Florida has also committed $6 million to renovate FSW’s business and technology building into a state-of-the-art cyber facility that will be named the Rist Cyber Institute.

Our mission states that “Florida SouthWestern State College will be the catalyst for innovative education, which provides accessible pathways that prepare students to be enlightened and productive citizens.” Our new cyber program does just that. It is an exciting time to be a part of FSW as we build new programs and enhance our current programs to support the Southwest Florida workforce. To learn more about FSW’s Associate in Science degree in Cybersecurity Operations program, visit https://www.fsw.edu/sobt.

Dr. Mary Myers is the dean of FSW’s School of Business and Technology.

FSW, cyber security

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