Our growing dependency on technology for everything from banking to travel has created a high demand for cybersecurity positions. Many of Orlando’s higher education institutions have taken the initiative to create unique programs to develop future cyber defense professionals and leaders. These programs have proved successful, receiving national recognition and awards.
The UCF Center for Cybersecurity is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, as designated by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In addition to UCF’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Club (Hack@UCF), the university is home to a Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition Team (UCF CCDC Team). Since its formation in January of 2013, the UCF CCDC Team has experienced great competition success by winning four straight regional titles and three straight national titles. This year brought an unprecedented three-peat victory for the team at the 2016 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.
Valencia College offers a Cybersecurity Technical Certificate, designed to teach students how to build and defend computer networks. The National Security Agency and the Committee on National Security Systems certified that Valencia’s program met the 4013 national training standards for systems security administrators. This certification means the program achieved the national standards for training network security professionals to assist federal agencies and private sector companies in information protection and aid in the defense of the nation’s vital information resources.
The newly opened Webster University downtown campus will also provide a cybersecurity degree program – a Master of Science in Cybersecurity. Through Webster’s small class sizes, students gain hands-on project management experience as it relates to solving real-world cybersecurity issues.
Keiser University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Cyber Forensics/Information Security.