Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XII, Issue I - Spring 2018 | Page 16

CYBERSECURITY STUDENTS PREPARE TO TAKE
HACKING
OUT OF HEADLINES
W
hole Foods, Yahoo, Target, Equifax, all
have one thing in common—they were
hacked. People around the world have
had personal records and identities stolen because of
these data breaches that leave consumers exposed.
“No industry is immune from attack; from health care to
insurance, banking and retail, all industries are hackable,”
said Sandra Wohlers, PHSC Instructor, Cybersecurity
Program Coordinator.
“Millions of dollars are lost every year to data breaches
due to an under-skilled and underrepresented workforce.
With more than 2 billion records stolen every year, the
need for protection is greater than ever,” said Wohlers.
The stakes are high for businesses and organizations to
protect their data from malicious adversaries.
According to a recent Forbes article, by 2019 there will be
a shortage of two million skilled cyber warriors. To help
meet demand, Pasco-Hernando State College offers two
associate’s degrees in cyber education, Network Systems
Technology and Cyber and Information Security. “The
new cybersecurity programs identified as part of PHSC’s
STEM initiative prepares students for careers in high-
demand high-skills occupations to meet local and state
workforce needs,” said Ed Goolsby, D.M., PHSC Dean of
Workforce Development.
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PHSC Perspective