CybersecurityUSD launches a new Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology

Published 2 December 2015

To address the threats cyberattacks pose to the security, prosperity, and privacy of the United States and its citizens, the University of San Diego announced the creation of its Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology. The Center will focus on cybersecurity challenges through education, training, and research.

USD launches new cyber center // Source: jhu.edu

Imagine these scenarios: A massive data breach puts the personal information of four million federal employees at risk. Syrian rebels hack into the U.S. electric grid and cause a blackout in a major city. And a major retailer pays $10 million to settle a lawsuit related to the breach of credit card account information.

To address the threats cyberattacks pose to the security, prosperity, and privacy of the United States and its citizens, the University of San Diego announced the creation of its Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology. The Center will focus on cybersecurity challenges through education, training, and research.

“What makes our new center unique is its comprehensive focus on all aspects of cyber security,” said Jason Lemon, Dean of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of San Diego. “The Center’s activities will encompass education and training through a full range of educational opportunities. The community can access USD’s cyber security expertise through degree and certificate programs, inviting USD’s cyber experts to participate in projects focusing on the evaluation and development of their own systems and strategies to mitigate cyber threats, and developing internal leadership on cyber security IT, cyber security law, forensics and incident response. There simply is no other university bringing together this kind of expertise and offering so many different degrees, programs, and access points like USD’s center does.”

USD reports that the Center, currently in the planning approval stage, is preparing to support a Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering offered by USD’s School of Engineering and a Master of Science in Cyber Security Information Technology Leadership offered by the university. The Cyber IT Leadership degree will be available fully online. Program Web sites will be available when campus and accreditation approvals are received. Several certificate programs for public enrollment will also be available to address a variety of subjects such as cyber security, risk management, cyber intelligence, cyber security assessment and testing, and cyber security policy and law.

The forthcoming degree programs will be designed for working professionals, and will be taught by USD faculty and cyber professionals who bring decades of current and real-world experience to their students.

The Center will also advance research, discovery, and development of the tools to assist consumers, corporations, nonprofits, utilities, and the military find the solutions needed to solve the many challenges presented by cyberattacks.

“By combining the strengths and vision of the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering and USD’s Professional and Continuing Education, the Center is poised to be extremely nimble and creative in meeting the needs of students, serving a broad base of individual, corporate, public, private and military stakeholders who seek cyber security education and solutions, and in responding quickly in this dynamic and ever-changing field,” said Chell Roberts, Dean of the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering.

Dr. Winnie Callahan, who will run the Center, told CDN that “Nation states and organized crime and even street criminals are finding it quite lucrative to use cybercrime to do nefarious deeds, because their chances of getting caught is reduced and their odds of wins are increased.”

“We’ve been through a period where making the software or hardware secure was something you thought of after the fact. When we realize the vulnerabilities, we patch it and pray. We’ve not been real smart as a nation because I think we’ve been a bit greedy about the economic wins of being first to market. So right now we’re kind of in a mess,” she said.

As a result of the increasing cyberthreat, the demand for cybersecurity jobs is growing at 12 times the overall job market. More than 209,000 cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. are unfilled.

Thomas A. Baer, U.S. Department of Homeland Security deputy director of the National Cyber Security and Communications Integration Center, told CDN that “I know of no other school using a total immersion strategy to educate cyber professionals. This strategy is the most efficient and effective way to teach cyber security and serves as a model for the nation.”

USD notes that the Center also will be a key player in the San Diego region’s efforts to be recognized as the National Center of Cyber Security Excellence, a goal the City of San Diego has established. USD’s Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology will contribute to this segment of the local economy that now accounts for more than $1.6 billion of economic activity each year in San Diego.