The attention-grabbing ransomware attack highlights the growing needs of cybersecurity professionals
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Tyler Ellison
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline and JBS is the latest in a long list of high-profile cybercrime targeting US companies.
This time, mysterious criminals were forced to temporarily shut down the country’s largest fuel pipeline, threaten the country’s meat supply, and pay a total of $ 15.4 million before resuming normal operations. ..
These attacks, in which criminals take hostages of organizational data and computer systems, raise national security concerns. As technology advances, so does the risk to individuals, businesses, school systems, hospitals, infrastructure, and government.
Jack Bow Abd, Associate Professor University of Nebraska Kearney Faculty of Cyber SystemsCalls the latest incident “the tip of the iceberg,” pointing out that most cyberattacks have not been publicly reported.
“We are now awakening to how realistic this threat is,” he said.
To stay ahead of hackers and organized crime groups, businesses, organizations and government agencies of all sizes are looking to hire highly trained professionals who can enhance digital security and help protect their assets.
That has led to a great demand for cybersecurity talent.
UNK Professor Liaquat Hossain, chair of the Cyber Systems Division, said:
Currently, there is a significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals domestically and globally. A 2020 survey by ISC², a non-profit organization specializing in cybersecurity training and certification, found 359,000 unemployed positions in the United States and 3.1 million worldwide.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts information security analysts to grow at 31% between 2019 and 2017, well above the national average for all occupations.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these employees are one of the most paid workers in the field of computer science due to fierce competition for qualified candidates, with a median annual salary of $ 103,590.
Recent graduates can expect an annual income of $ 65,000 to $ 80,000 in Nebraska, according to Hossein, a member of a group focused on expanding the technical workforce in Nebraska.
As a member of Nebra Skatec Collaboration, Hossein is working with employers and higher education partners to identify and close labor market gaps and build a sustainable talent pipeline in the state.
“Currently, there are weaknesses in that pipeline. We are trying to address them by forming partnerships with schools and developing collaborative learning,” he said.
Hossain and Dean Tim Jares of UNK College of Business and Technology meet with K-12 school staff to discuss new ways to promote STEM education and increase the number of high school graduates interested in cybersecurity and other computer science fields. ..
The university is already hosting Weekly summer camp For junior high school students who want to learn more about technology and cybersecurity, and CoderDojo events that allow young people to explore areas such as computer programming, website development, app and game design. Another potential collaboration uses UNK’s facilities and faculty to connect with K-12 schools that do not have designated STEM or computer science teachers.
In response to the growing needs of graduates, UNK Bachelor’s Degree in Cyber Security Operations This program is based on the Academic Excellence Center for Cyber Defense Education designated by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, and is a hands-on training that prepares students from national security to various cybersecurity positions. To provide. Military and law enforcement for medical, financial and infrastructure.
The Cyber Security Program and Cyber Systems division is located in Discovery Hall, a state-of-the-art STEM building that opened in the fall of 2020. Faculty is currently designing a new interactive lab that exposes students to a variety of cybersecurity scenarios.
Bou Abdo wants UNK students to become “big picture” strategic thinkers.
“It’s the quality of the people we want to graduate from, and that’s the quality of the people companies want,” he said.
In addition to expanding the workforce, Hossain is also interested in partnering with private companies to develop cybersecurity training and certification programs for current employees.
“This must be a joint effort,” he said. “To solve this problem, we need a public-private partnership and a community-based partnership.”
The attention-grabbing ransomware attack highlights the growing needs of cybersecurity professionals
Source link The attention-grabbing ransomware attack highlights the growing needs of cybersecurity professionals
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