This article appears for archival purposes. Any events, programs and/or initiatives mentioned may no longer be applicable.
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) understands the need for data protection, empowering students to pursue cybersecurity and explore the art of protecting networks and devices.
“It’s not just a career opportunity, it’s a career field and something that nationally is an issue that affects us all,” said Wyatt Johnson, Computer Network Technology - CIS Program Director at GateWay Community College. “The big thing about cybersecurity is that this is an area you can go into where you can absolutely make a difference in a real way, because we have to get this right.”
MCCCD’s Cybersecurity program is designed to focus on the necessary skills required to secure, protect and identify vulnerabilities in a network, including various operating systems and network devices. Emphasis is placed on developing the theoretical, legal, ethical and practical skills needed to maintain security on mission-critical networking and server systems.
“There’s a lot of opportunity in cybersecurity and as time goes on, we’re touching more and more areas and involving programmers, networking and tech support folks to bring their piece of the puzzle,” said Johnson. “Ultimately, everyone needs to have some level of understanding. We’re not focusing on trying to get students really good at just one slice, we’re trying to help them build a broad foundation and get some of those entry-level certifications to help get a foot in the door somewhere and start collecting that magic work experience that everyone wants.”
Watch to learn more about MCCCD’s Cybersecurity program from Johnson, and hear from students in the program at GateWay Community College. For more information about cybersecurity across the District, visit our website.