JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 7, 2020 — 51社区 will offer a new cybersecurity program beginning in the 2020-21 academic year.
With this new program, the Department of Computer Science鈥檚 goal is to provide a world-class cybersecurity education from a Christian foundation. The program will offer both a major and a minor. Students will not only learn the what, when, why and how of cybersecurity, but be equipped to be beacons in their workplaces based on their work ethic, motivations and decisions, according to Brian Glas, assistant professor of computer science.
鈥淭here is a serious deficiency of individuals that have a solid understanding of cybersecurity and are able to fill the large, rapidly growing number of open positions in the workforce,鈥� Glas said. 鈥淯nion is well-suited to be able to provide a platform to build and develop individuals from a Christian perspective to help fill the ranks and provide guidance for future generations as technology only grows in influence over our lives.鈥�
The cybersecurity program will be built from numerous years of industry experience, accreditation guidelines and the eight domains in the Certified Information Systems Security Professional standard industry certification. This will allow the computer science department to pursue accreditation if desired in the future, Glas said, as well as build on foundational security domains and incorporate real world experiences.
The new program will include data analytics and data visualization courses co-listed in the McAfee School of Business, providing a bridge between security and business. The program will also offer a 鈥淚ntroduction to Cybersecurity鈥� class, designed to be accessible to any student, which will focus on personal security and privacy in today鈥檚 digital world.
鈥淭ightly integrated with our Christ-centered mission is a deliberate focus on people,鈥� Glas said. 鈥淢any times in technology, we tend to forget about the human element and the place/role that technology should take. We will deliberately maintain a focus on how we should not worship technology, but how it should aid or assist us.鈥�