Education

Generally, if a person is considered a security specialist, he must have the interest and discipline to teach himself security issues, go to seminars and conferences all over the world, read stacks of books, and have a wide range of experience in different environments. There has not been a uniform, standardized way of teaching security in vocational schools or universities in the past. Some educational institutions offer security classes in their CIS or MIS programs, and some offer master’s degrees or doctorates in computer security. However, such programs are few and far between.

Networking, programming, and engineering are widely taught. Security may be sprinkled in as an elective or not even offered because there has not been a high demand or need for this type of knowledge in the job market. However, computer and information security is gaining in importance, need, and demand. This has caused several schools to offer security classes and programs, and others will probably become available as the job market demands more individuals with this skill set.

Note

To find out about colleges offering security programs that have met the NSA’s Center of Excellence criteria, visit www.nsa.gov/ia/academia/caeiae.cfm.

Not only do more security courses and programs need to be offered, but business, networking, programming, and engineering classes must integrate security education into them. Security should not be looked upon as an extra component or an option to be added later. It should be interwoven into the code as a program is being developed, and interwoven into the education of our new professionals. It should be an important piece of architecture and engineering, and it should be understood and practiced when networks are being built, added upon, and maintained.

Most governments have recognized that education is an important part of protecting their country’s critical infrastructure. Countries have set up criteria for schools to follow, with government grants and subsidiaries awarded as incentives for schools who meet the criteria. If countries want to protect themselves and their resources from computer attacks and cyberattacks, they must provide their citizens with the necessary education.