With incidents of identity theft on the rise and countless, costly cyberattacks occurring each year against individuals, businesses, and government agencies, Assumption is offering a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity this fall. The curriculum for the new program is designed to meet the standards outlined by the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Academic Excellence credential, a rigorous application process in which the institution is already engaged.
Assumption’s cybersecurity program offers a technology-based education, using methods in computing and information science, engineering, social science, and technology management that also foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital information economy.
“Cyberspace is a dynamic and evolving ecosystem, with complex, multifaceted networks that connect individuals, organizations, and national and international entities,” said Assumption Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Louise Carroll Keeley, Ph.D. “However, cyberspace’s expansion presents new weaknesses to exploit, making it vulnerable to intrusion and exploitation. Cyber threats and vulnerabilities have grown exponentially with the explosion of technology and connectedness, affecting individuals, organizations, and nations alike. Through a new major in cybersecurity, Assumption will train the next generation of individuals who will seek to thwart and respond to cyber threats and attacks.”
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s 2016 Internet Crime Report, millions in the United States are the victims of internet crimes each year and it receives, on average, 800 complaints per day. The report also shares that losses due to email scams, identity theft, ransomware attacks, tech support fraud losses, and other nefarious activity generated $1.33 billion in victim losses in 2016, the latest year for which statistics are available. As a result, there has been a 28 percent growth in information security analyst positions, according to a January 2018 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with the field growing “much faster than average.” The BLS also added that the median annual wage for analysts is $92,600.
