Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XII, Issue I - Spring 2018 | Page 18

between education and workforce. This collaboration will assist in Cybersecurity Certificate offered at PHSC. The Cybersecurity
preparing students for the specific roles they will play in their Certificate offers persons working in the industry, or those who
cyber career.” have already earned a degree, the opportunity to obtain the
specialized certificate. “This provides prospective students the
The National Security Association (NSA) and the Institute of ability to augment their current workforce skill sets. The certificate
Standards and Technology have created the National Initiative program is a stackable credential, transferable to a PHSC degree
for Cybersecurity Education (NICE). “NICE offers a framework to program,” said Wohlers. “Students are excited about the new
help align workforce roles, tasks, skills, and knowledge units. This courses like Introduction to Cyberwarfare and Cybersecurity,
framework was used as the foundation for the degree program, to Ethical Hacking, and Network Forensics and Incident Response.
ensure students are offered the best possible education to protect They offer excitement and hope for students who want to make
and defend technology systems,” said Goolsby. Through hands-on a difference by serving the public in a big way,” said Wohlers.
labs and team collaboration, students will use their critical thinking She also notes the College plans to offer a Bachelor of Applied
skills to evaluate and assess situations and ensure an accurate Sciences in Supervision and Management with concentration
and timely response to abate threats. in cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity Job Outlook PHSC’s new cyber-focused programs prepare students to enter
the workforce ready to take hacking out of the headlines—instead
Cyber will grow in many areas: securing systems, providing creating a ‘safe cyber world’ for all. “Our lives are increasingly
governance over systems, maintaining and supporting these becoming digital and it is imperative we work against the
systems, and analyzing and maintaining data to those who identify, cyberwarfare that threatens our future,” said Wohlers.
analyze, and mitigate threats.
Cybersecurity professionals are nearly guaranteed job security and
upward mobility. Talented and experienced pros garner six-figure
salaries. Industry growth is evident, with more than one million job
openings worldwide and more than 200,000 unfilled jobs in the
U.S. According to Forbes, the industry growth expectations are
staggering—$75 billion in 2015 to $170 billion by 2020.
Median pay for an information security analyst is $94,050 per year
for a person with a bachelor’s degree, according to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS). The lowest 10 percent earned less than
$53,760, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $147,290.
“Now is the time to enter the computer science cyber field. Those
currently in the field will need to update their skills. Even if your job
is managing a database or working as a programmer, you need a
security background to keep up with cyber trends and threats,”
explains Wo