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The rising demand for cybersecurity professionals is fueling the development of undergraduate security degree programs at colleges and universities across the country. Many programs are thinking beyond traditional courses to offer more resources and tools for aspiring security pros.
"Enrollment numbers have increased, and there's been a lot of publicity about cybersecurity issues and a lot of publicity related to how [the job market is] underserved," says Anthony Pinto, cybersecurity program coordinator for the University of West Florida computer science department. "There's a shortage now. There's been one for a long period of time."
As more schools create cybersecurity courses, many are learning how broad and complex the field is. Educating a cybersecurity pro isn't limited to teaching penetration testing or malware analysis, Pinto explains. There also are practitioners and specialists out there who focus on network security, information assurance, system administration, incident response, and digital forensics.
"It's constant evolution and a constant change of curriculum," says Kevin Noulten, director of academic outreach for Cyber.org, a nonprofit for cybersecurity workforce development.
Some schools have begun to branch out from the classroom to offer laboratories, competitions, and mentorship programs to security students, notes Chris Brook, program manager at Digital Guardian and editor at Data Insider, who has done extensive research into degree programs.
"Looking at all of these listings, something that also caught my eye were when universities highlighted centers and laboratories that students could ..
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