Page 33 - Cybersecurity Career Guide for North Dakota

The U.S. Naval Academy’s new center for cyber- security studies, in Annapolis, MD
The Nation’s Military Academies Lead the Way
Winning the war of the future will take more than better codes and faster digital hardware. The U.S. needs leaders to fend off mounting cyberattacks and to launch cyberattacks on our enemies.
The U.S. Military Academy, Air Force Academy, Naval Academy, and Coast Guard Academy all offer accredited CAE-CO cybersecurity de- gree programs. Cadets and Midshipmen take courses in technology, such as computer architecture, networks, database systems, and cryptography, but also develop leadership skills. Programs also require coursework in policy, law, and ethics to ensure that each student gains understanding of the nuances of cyber warfare. Each academy’s cybersecurity program prepares future officers for cyber- related assignments, including in all the military cyber commands, and for advanced studies.
While learning the tools of cyber craft in the classroom is an impor- tant first step, students need as much real-world experience as possible. That’s why in 2001 the National Security Agency launched the Cyber Defense Exercise competition specifically for teams from the military academies, plus teams from the U.S. Coast Guard Acad- emy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and the Royal Military College of Canada. Modeled on Red Team/Blue Team simulations, NSA cyber professionals attack the networks of each of the teams. The team that most effectively defends their computer network wins the com- petition. In 2021, the U.S. Naval Academy won the competition, but all of the competitors were able to learn what they did wrong and how better to defend the nation’s computer networks.
opportunity to work on a team project.” Another key component to maximize your post-grad job opportunities: extra- curricular activities. “Cybersecurity, like
any technical field, is mastered by doing and not passive reading,” says Babak Beheshti, dean of the College of Engi- neering and Computing Sciences at New York Institute of Technology. He sug- gests getting involved in “hackathons,” competitions, and student club activi- ties. “You will learn by doing and will start building a network of like-minded friends.” Build your own network, install virtual machines on a spare PC or laptop to experiment with it, and be willing to intern in a company or business to learn the day-to-day needs of organizations and how you can make yourself indis- pensable to them.
For a state-by state listing of schools offering four-year degree programs, go to start-engineering.com/4year-degrees.
University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, MS
START-ENGINEERING.COM 33