Dr. John O. Aje, dean of the School of Applied Science and Technology.
TRENTON, N.J. – Thomas Edison State University has created an online graduate certificate in cybersecurity with a focus on utility environments that is designed to help close a growing cybersecurity skills gap and meet workplace shortages, specifically in utilities.
The 15-credit Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity – Critical Infrastructure was developed in collaboration with the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC), a global trade association representing utilities and critical infrastructure companies in the electric, gas and water industries. The program is designed to help utility employees advance as cybersecurity professionals, and to prepare information technology (IT) professionals to transition into the utility industry as a cybersecurity professional.
“To provide electricity, water, gas and other essential services, utilities run a variety of specialized systems and networks. A compromise of these networks may cause kinetic, real-world impacts,” said Nadya Bartol, cybersecurity strategist and vice president of Industry Affairs at UTC. “We are facing a serious shortage of cybersecurity practitioners that understand how to secure these networks. This new program is built around the needs of working adults and will help us equip existing utility personnel as well as individuals with IT experience in other industries with the knowledge and skills needed to become cybersecurity professionals to begin mitigating this shortage.”
Recent surveys underscore the skills gap and workplace shortages in cybersecurity in the U.S. and around the world.
The 2015 Global Information Security Workforce Study, an international survey of nearly 14,000 information security professionals published by ISC2, estimates the shortfall in the global information security workforce to reach 1.5 million by 2020.
In addition, 86 percent of respondents to the ISACA’s 2015 Global Cybersecurity Status Report, which surveyed more than 3,400 ISACA members, identified a cybersecurity skills gap, and 92 percent of respondents planning to hire more cybersecurity professionals said they expect to have difficulty finding skilled candidates.
The college’s new cybersecurity certificate was created with UTC and top cybersecurity professionals working for utilities today. The program’s online courses enable working professionals to complete the certificate in less than a year without sacrificing their careers or personal responsibilities. The 15 credits earned with the certificate can be applied to the college’s Master of Science in Applied Science and Technology degree program, which is also offered completely online.
“What makes this program unique is that it blends both information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) and focuses specifically on critical infrastructure companies, including those focused on energy, water, gas and transportation,” said Dr. John O. Aje, dean of the School of Applied Science and Technology at Thomas Edison State University. “Our goal is to help the utility industry meet workplace shortages of cybersecurity experts and provide a convenient option for IT professionals interested in shifting into the cybersecurity space in utilities.”
The college has also established a corporate partnership with UTC to help member utilities maximize their tuition assistance programs and benefit from a specialized service model.
The application for the college’s Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity – Critical Infrastructure is now open.
Toni M. Terry, BA