A slew of high-profile cyber security breaches have rocked the corporate and government sectors in the U.S. and around the world, positioning cyber security to the top of IT priorities. As a result, the market need for cyber security professionals has surged. The University of Miami Division of Continuing and International Education (UM DCIE) has responded to this growing demand by introducing three new cyber security certificate programs: IT Expert Specializing in Python & Basic Cyber Security, Professional Penetration Tester and Cyber Security Risk Management & Assessment.
“Each of these hands-on, immersive certification programs is designed for professionals at a different place in their career,” said Desiree Young, executive director of the Office of Professional Advancement and Corporate Training and Initiatives at UM DCIE, “from technical-minded professionals looking to enter IT and have the added expertise of beginner cyber security training, to IT and security professionals looking to specialize in cyber security, to chief information officers and risk-management executives who want to add cyber security training to their expertise.”
Each of the programs uses state-of-the-art labs to simulate live cyber attacks and give students hands-on experience at various degrees of detecting, blocking, assessing and preventing such attacks. The curriculum is constructed and delivered by industry experts, in collaboration with HackerUSA, the US branch of HackerU – a leading Israeli high-tech academy that has more than 20 years of experience in cyber security training. The programs each include 400 hours of training, and the IT Expert and Professional Penetration Tester programs prepare students to test for several professional certifications, in addition to the program certificate. Students who complete the program can also take advantage of HackerUSA’s career services support, which may include resume development, internships and job placement with leading corporations, security organizations, government, and military agencies.
Through these unique cyber security certificate programs, UM DCIE helps prepare professionals to thrive in the emerging cyber security industry. The industry was already growing rapidly, is expecting to pick up its pace of growth in the wake of the recent hacking of data from Equifax and the WannaCry ransomware attacks around the world. New regulations are expected to speed up its growth. For instance, the New York State Department of Financial Services issued regulations essentially obligating financial services companies to meet cyber security standards in areas such as risk assessments, continuous monitoring, penetration testing and use of encryption. Here in Florida, Governor Rick Scott is proposing the state commit to funding cyber security training for agency leaders in his 2018-2019 state budget, which would make an annual spend of nearly a quarter-million dollars in ongoing education.
“Our cyber security certification program with the University of Miami is designed to help technology professionals protect their organizations and citizens from cyber attacks," said Dan Vigdor, executive chairman of HackerU. “This hands-on training gives them the specialized knowledge and software training to prevent an attack from occurring, as well as to analyze and work to neutralize attacks in progress.”
Companies are looking to integrate cyber risk-management into day-to-day operations and maintain a prepared response to any cyber security incident, as well as to ensure that all assets and data are protected. Corporations and national organizations are also hunting for gifted, “ethical” hackers who will help them identify the vulnerabilities within their systems. These three certifications provide participants with cutting-edge technologies and frameworks to protect a variety of organizations from future threats.
“We’re always on the lookout for growing professions in which the Division of Continuing Education can help people start, change, or advance their careers,” said Rebecca MacMillan Fox, dean of UM DCIE. “We are increasing our investment in emerging technologies so that we can offer our students these opportunities.”
Registration Information
Classes for the cyber security certificates programs begin in February 2018. To learn more about the cyber security certificate program, visit www.continue.miami.edu/cyber. Prospective students can also speak with a program advisor at (305) 284-4000.
