{"id":55,"date":"2019-08-26T17:03:36","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T17:03:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/neverland.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-summer-2019-volume-1-issue-1\/defending-the-cyber-universe\/"},"modified":"2019-08-26T17:03:36","modified_gmt":"2019-08-26T17:03:36","slug":"defending-the-cyber-universe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neverland.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-summer-2019-volume-1-issue-1\/defending-the-cyber-universe\/","title":{"rendered":"Defending the Cyber Universe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Defending the Cyber Universe
\nCyber security experts are high-tech superheroes!<\/span><\/h2>\n

We live in an increasingly digital universe \u2013 and as our everyday lives depend more and more on computer technology, our need for cyber security grows. That\u2019s why cyber security professionals are in such high demand. These skilled technicians protect our most valuable data, from personal information to bank accounts and medical records.<\/p>\n

\u201cCyber security touches all industries \u2013 from IT and communications to healthcare, finance, and retail commerce,\u201d says Keith Babuszczak, dean of Wake Tech\u2019s Computer Technologies division. \u201cWe want all our transactions to be safe and secure, whether we\u2019re making a purchase with a credit card or simply checking out at the grocery store.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is reason for concern: According to Tripwire<\/i>, the FBI received more than 2,600 complaints about the malicious software known as ransomware in 2016. In 2015, there were more than 112 million healthcare data breaches. The challenge of protecting critical information and infrastructure has made cyber security one of the world\u2019s fastest-growing fields. Cyber Seek<\/i> data shows that North Carolina companies posted 13,000 cyber security positions between September 2017 and August 2018. There\u2019s just one problem: There aren\u2019t enough qualified cyber security technicians for the jobs!<\/p>\n

Wake Tech is trying to change that. The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Cyber Security covers a wide range of technology concepts, including defense in depth, ethical hacking, network vulnerabilities, secure communications, system and security administration, data recovery, routing and switching, computer investigations, industry best practices, and digital forensics. Courses are taught by certified and credentialed instructors who are industry experts in information security and networking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cyber security curriculum provides students with practical technical skills,\u201d says Carolyn DeSimone, director of Wake Tech\u2019s Network and Computer Technology program, \u201cand really helps them stand out in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students learn how to handle sensitive data situations \u2013 for individual and corporate users \u2013 through the program\u2019s hands-on labs and virtual infrastructure. They learn how cyberattacks are staged against networks and how to address them and diminish their impact. They also gain the skills to develop and integrate security strategies that can prevent and defend against future attacks.<\/p>\n

In instructor Barbara Warner\u2019s Advanced Forensics class, students learn how to be cyber detectives. They examine crime scenes for digital evidence and learn how to collect and examine it legally. They analyze cell phone data with the equipment used by police and government agencies. They practice testifying about evidence in court on the classroom\u2019s mock witness stand. Warner, who came to Wake Tech five years ago after a 36-year career at IBM, is passionate about her students: \u201cOne of my students was offered a job at the National Security Administration (NSA). Local tech companies, including Lenovo, IBM, Red Hat, and Cisco also hire them \u2013 they are in high demand!\u201d<\/p>\n

Robert Smith is one of those students \u2013 he landed a full-time job providing high-tech support at Cisco before graduating from the program! \u201cWake Tech has prepared me well for this job,\u201d he says. \u201cI have the skills I need to be successful \u2013 I\u2019m very excited!\u201d<\/p>\n

Student Ariel King says she\u2019s ready to break the glass ceiling in cyberspace. \u201cMy instructors have given me lots of encouragement, telling me that being female, bilingual, and making that extra effort will give me a foot in the door in either a business or public sector job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyber security students can also take advantage of Wake Tech\u2019s work-based learning program, which offers students the opportunity to earn academic credit while working in their field of study. \u201cThese students are highly sought after,\u201d says DeSimone, \u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity to apply what they learn in an actual workplace.\u201d Graduates of the program have a variety of options with both regional and national tech companies. They\u2019re prepared for IT careers in network security services, systems administration, ethical hacking, and digital forensics; and they\u2019re ready for industry certifications that include Certified Ethical Hacker, Certified Enterprise Defender, CCNA Security, and Security+.<\/p>\n

Wake Tech also offers a short-term, non-credit cyber security training program through Workforce Continuing Education. The program condenses material into a shorter span of time and focuses on preparation for certification exams, such as those for CompTIA and Cisco certifications. If students decide to enroll in the AAS degree program, these certifications can count for course credit.<\/p>\n

Once armed with the skills they need for a career in cyber security, students can look forward to excellent pay. According to Chmura JobsEQ, the entry-level salary for an information security analyst in the Triangle is $71,900; the median salary is $95,800. Not a bad reward for saving the cyber universe \u2013 and no cape required!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Defending the Cyber Universe Cyber security experts are high-tech superheroes! We live in an increasingly digital universe \u2013 and as our everyday lives depend more and more on computer technology, our need for cyber security grows. That\u2019s why cyber security professionals are in such high demand. These skilled technicians protect our most valuable data, from… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,31,39],"tags":[6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15],"article_type":[22,4,5],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-computer-forensic","category-computer-technology","category-cybersecurity","tag-3-1","tag-3d-printing","tag-a-century","tag-a-to-z","tag-accounting","tag-additive-manufacturing","tag-administration","tag-administrative-assistant","tag-admission","tag-admissions","article_type-easy-to-adapt","article_type-great-ideas","article_type-program"],"yoast_head":"\nDefending the Cyber Universe - Fall 2019, Volume 1 \u2013 Issue 1<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/neverland.mycareerfocus.org\/spring-summer-2019-volume-1-issue-1\/defending-the-cyber-universe\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Defending the Cyber Universe\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Defending the Cyber Universe Cyber security experts are high-tech superheroes! 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