IT leaders looking to acquire talented cybersecurity professionals can soon turn their heads in the direction of tiny Rhode Island, as Brown University has announced the launch of its Executive Master in Cybersecurity program.
Enrollment for the advanced IT security degree program is now underway, with the program to kick off with the fall 2016 semester. The 16-month program “builds on the university’s interdisciplinary excellence in cybersecurity, highly accomplished faculty and students, and practical, hands-on experience to produce visionary and confident leaders who understand the technology, human, and policy issues that form a successful cybersecurity strategy,” the university notes.
“Cybersecurity represents one of the greatest threats to industry and governments today, yet the majority of cybersecurity professionals feel they lack the necessary skills and resources to keep up with the ever increasing demands for cybersecurity,” the university explains.
Indeed, concerns over data security and data privacy are a top concern at most organizations today, and several studies have reported on a shortage of qualified cyber security professionals.
Students in the Executive Master in Cybersecurity program will be exposed to the skills and depth-of-knowledge to deploy and manage an effective security strategy that successfully defends against immediate and future cyber threats, and related enterprise challenges, according to the university.
“There’s no such thing as perfect or impenetrable security. Strategy is the best security,” said Roberto Tamassia, executive director of the Brown Executive Master in Cybersecurity. “We’ve developed a comprehensive and timely curriculum that teaches cybersecurity leaders how to unite stakeholders in technology, law and policy around an effective strategy. “
The program is not for the IT security newbie. As its name indicates, this is an executive master level program. It is targeted to “highly driven individuals with 5-15 years of professional and managerial experience, and responsibility for security in business, education, financial services, government, healthcare, policy, regulatory, retail, or other sectors,” the university says.
The hope is that students will gain valuable insights and be prepared to:
Address privacy concerns such as cyber intelligence, data privacy, and internet governance;
Understand the security, human and privacy implications of emerging technologies, such as big data, cloud computing, mobile computing, social networks, the Internet of Things, and Web 2.0 applications;
Gain proficiency in identifying vulnerabilities, anticipating attacks, using monitoring tools, and developing defensive strategies; and
Build organizational resilience, and crisis management and response capabilities.
