Cybersecurity takes center stage
Ivy Tech, Kokomo Area Career Center offering high-tech educational pipeline
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On the silver screen, cybersecurity looks sexy. Hackers try to break into corporations or public infrastructure, looking for a big score or maximum disruption. The cybersecurity pros race to stop them, using high-tech equipment, usually in dark rooms illuminated by the glow of computer monitors.
The background music rises to a tense crescendo as the security breach appears to succeed, but the attack is turned away at the last moment. The world is saved, thanks to a hero sitting behind a computer. That is the perception created by Hollywood, but it’s not far from reality. Thousands of cybercriminals attempt to disrupt online activity and commerce every day.
In Ivy Tech Community College’s information technology classroom, a monitor shows dozens of multi-colored beams flying across a world map from city to city. It is tracking hacking attempts made against a single company in real time. It looks like an air traffic control map without the control, or a display of nuclear missile launches as the world devolves into chaos.
For two dozen Kokomo High School students, that chaos is becoming their workplace. They are studying cybersecurity through a partnership between Ivy Tech Kokomo and the Kokomo Area Career Center. And when they graduate, they will be able to enter this online war.
Todd Wideman, Ivy Tech Kokomo Assistant Professor of Information Technology, explained that the students start with informatics, an overview of the cybersecurity field. They learn about the technology behind what is displayed on a computer monitor, how it all works, and how it can be compromised. From there, the cybersecurity world opens, and those Hollywood scenes become all too real.
“It really prepares them to be successful in the course,” said Wideman. “There is sort of a legal hacking aspect to these jobs like this, where you get hired by companies and organizations to come in and basically do what's called penetration testing. You try to break in and see what you can get away with, and you can do it legally.
“Of course, a lot of people like just to play with the toys. They like to play with the gear, the computers. They like connecting it. They like playing with it. And you get to do that, too. So, you get a variety of reasons why people enroll in these programs.”
Tara Kaser, Ivy Tech Kokomo Education Department Chair, explained that the two years of classes with Ivy Tech through the career center allow students the opportunity to graduate high school with multiple certifications. With those in hand, they can enter the job market immediately, or they can continue their education and gain additional skills.
“They'll leave here with 10 classes taught by Ivy Tech faculty,” said Kaser. “They’ll really have a great basis of information. And they'll have 26 credits with Ivy Tech as a high school student. They get high school credit for them, and college credit for them, too.”
Laura Hapner, Ivy Tech Kokomo Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, added that the students’ educational journey can continue seamlessly at Ivy Tech.
“They're earning college credits that can stack into a higher-level degree,” said Hapner. “If they wanted to continue in cybersecurity, they could earn their associate degree, and they would be about halfway there. So, it wouldn't take them that long, maybe another couple of semesters, to complete that associate degree with us.”
Jonathan Schuck, Kokomo Area Career Center Principal, explained there was demand for information technology classes, but the school was offering nothing in computer science through the career center. That changed two years ago with the launch of the partnership with Ivy Tech.
“We felt this is a very vital program to have,” said Schuck. “The class size is 10-11. We expect that to grow as we continue to move forward. Anytime you start a new program, you typically start off with very low numbers because nobody knows about it. The biggest promoter of classes or programs is going to be kids in their word of mouth.
“I'm very excited about this partnership. This is a definite need for our community, our region, state, and beyond. There are just so many jobs out there right now in cybersecurity. It's unbelievable. That's what kids want to know. ‘Where is this going to lead me? What is this going to do for me?’ The possible job opportunities are big.”
Gavin Petty, a senior at Kokomo, said he always has had an interest in computers, and as soon as the career center offered the cybersecurity program, he jumped at it. In just one year, he has earned Cisco A+ and PC Pro certifications. And he won't graduate until spring.
"My goal this year is to get Network+ and Security+ plus certifications," said Petty. "And then, potentially, I'll study here at Ivy Tech to further my education."
Wideman explained that the students could expect to enter the job field straight out of the program, perhaps starting as a cybersecurity analyst. And they could work their way up from there.
“Typically, they'll come out and start in a Tier One area, such as penetration testing analyst,” said Wideman. “They can also do basic troubleshooting work. A lot of people like to work at managed service providers, which have an enormous number of job possibilities for students.
“I'm also surprised at the number of students who come out of programs like this and immediately go into consulting. Once you get those basic certifications, you have the credentials to do that type of work. They can get online on one of the job sites and say, ‘Here are my credentials. Here's my experience, I have a public repository of code that you can look at.’ And that's basically all you need to really get started.”
Those who start in cybersecurity don’t necessarily finish in that field, though the skills they learn are applicable in a wide range of information technology jobs.
“Maybe they decide after the fact that cybersecurity isn't for them,” said Kaser. “They can go into software development, or information technology support. They have a base of classes that would transfer to those degrees. They’re not pigeonholed into cyber, if that's not what they want to pursue later on.”
And should they decide to continue at Ivy Tech, the college has a robust career services department that can help with soft skills such as resume writing and interviewing. They also can pursue internships and even full-time employment through the services Ivy Tech provides.
“We just have lots of opportunities for students to continue in that in the pathway,” said Hapner. “Cybersecurity is a part of every business and industry. They could be in a hospital setting, or a probation office, or anywhere. There are just so many opportunities for them.
“It's through partnerships like this that we can build these pipelines that will have students ready to complete their associate degree or go right into the into the workplace. As we see what the needs are in the community, these are the types of pipelines that we need to continue to build.”
For additional information about Ivy Tech Community College’s class offerings and educational paths in Kokomo, visit www.ivytech.edu/locations/kokomo.