BS-Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a computing discipline involving technology, people, information and processes to enable assured operations in the face of adversaries. It involves the creation, operation, analysis, and testing of secure computer systems. It is an interdisciplinary course of study, including aspects of law, policy, human factors, ethics, and risk management. Cybersecurity is an important concern for government agencies, defense contractors, e-commerce companies, biotech research firms, and, in fact, any business entities that are concerned with the protection of their information capital. Students are prepared to have knowledge and skills in computer network security principles, human behavior and laws, cyber forensics, and the strategies and planning for securing information capital from cyber-attacks.

Program Educational Objectives

Our program integrates the Liberal Studies Core and emphasizes holistic student development according to Gannon University’s mission. The program educational objectives for Cybersecurity are to produce graduates who:

1. Demonstrate professional ethics and personal values in daily and professional life that exercise informed literary and aesthetic judgments by leveraging diverse cultures and societies.

2. Demonstrate teamwork and leadership qualities and/or attainment of leadership roles in a global work environment.

3. Demonstrate a passion for life-long learning through engaging in the rapidly changing and emerging areas of technology and/or continued professional development.

4. Demonstrate technical competency in applying knowledge of cybersecurity principles and practices for their successful career in a rapidly changing professional environment.

To achieve these objectives, the Cybersecurity program maintains a modern curriculum, state-of-the-art laboratories and teaching techniques, well-qualified faculty, and a strong advising system. Gannon's Cybersecurity program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Cybersecurity and Similarly Named Computing Programs.

Experiences

• Students will explore the GENI system, an open infrastructure for at-scale networking and distributed systems for research and education that spans the US. GENI, Global Environment for Network Innovations, provides a virtual laboratory for research and education. With GENI, students will have a platform to learn advanced skills and knowledge in Cybersecurity. In addition, students will also engage into learning with a commercial cloud system such as Microsoft, Google or Amazon cloud.

• Students will gain hands-on learning in core competencies needed to enter this growing workforce, including white hat hacking, strategic planning, incident response, design and deployment of cloud services, and management of security services.

Opportunity

The report by Cybersecurity Ventures* predicted that it will cost the world $6 trillion annually in cybercrime damage by 2021 and hence, the pressing situation has created an unprecedented shortage of cybersecurity workers. In addition, Cybersecurity Ventures predicts there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity positions globally by 2021. Our program is designed to fulfill the needs of future work demand in the cyber areas.

* Cybersecurity Ventures, “2017 Cybercrime Report,” sponsored by Herjavec Group, https://cybersecurityventures.com/2015-wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2017-Cybercrime-Report.pdf

The Program

The Cybersecurity (CYSEC) program requires 126 credits to graduate. The program has 15 credits for Math/Science, 42 credits for LS cores, and 67 credits for computing and cybersecurity courses and electives. The program also provides a one-semester study abroad option, a minor and Accelerated 5 year CYSEC-MS-CIS program.

Five-year Cooperative Program (126 credits)

Plan A

Plan B

Plan C

During the "Summer Coursework" semesters, students should take 12 credits of Liberal Core courses to maintain progress toward degree requirements and to maximize financial aid.