WilmU Leading in Cybersecurity
Speed, Adaptability are Hallmarks of WilmU’s ‘Cream of the Crop’ Cybersecurity Programs in Delaware
A recent LinkedIn search turned up 125,000 cybersecurity open jobs – with nearly 5,000 of them in Delaware alone, including remote positions.
That shouldn’t be a surprise. Regular news reports about security breaches at high-profile retailers and businesses highlight the critical need for cybersecurity professionals in corporate America, as well as in government, law enforcement, military, intelligence and nonprofits.
Over the last decade, Wilmington University’s Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (BSC) has been approved as a National Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency (NSA).
WilmU’s College of Technology offers cybersecurity degrees at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s level, a master of science in information systems technology with a concentration in information assurance and five five-course certificate programs: Digital Evidence Discovery, Digital Evidence Investigation, Cloud Practitioner, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). In total, over 1,500 students are enrolled in the various programs, making it one of WilmU’s biggest program areas. Students can earn their AWS and SCADA certifications in six months and their master’s degrees in two years.
The master’s program now has more than 400 students and will be adding 200 more soon, says Dr. James Fraley, chair of WilmU’s MSIST-Information Assurance program. He’s spent more than three decades in IT defense with McAfee, Northrop Grumman, DuPont and the U.S. Army Signal Corps, among other organizations, and participates in a number of NSA working groups and with the National Institute for Cyber Education.
“We need to find the people to fill these jobs, and the CAE designation establishes us as the cream of the crop among the over 300 schools nationwide offering cybersecurity classes,” says Fraley. “Employers are worried about new attacks – on software and supply chains – and about securing data, desktops, intellectual property and the cloud, given how business has changed during the pandemic.”
Cybersecurity Programs in Delaware Prepare Students for High Paying Jobs
WilmU is preparing students – many already in the workforce – for higher-paying jobs in the fast-growing cyber-security sector. Many of those students are being sent to WilmU by employers like Amazon, Walmart and Disney, who provide them with free tuition and the opportunity to improve their career opportunities.
“What makes our program unique is that we teach from a practitioner’s point of view,” Fraley said. “We can walk into the classroom and talk about what’s happening in the real world.”
“Virtually all universities have academic advisory committees that include members from outside organizations who provide input on what is needed in the marketplace,” says Dr. Mark Hufe, director of cybersecurity education at WilmU. “But that’s only helpful if the university can act on it. With input from our Center for Cyber Security Education Academic Advisory Committee and our adjunct instructor subject-matter experts who work in the field and have firsthand knowledge of industry trends, our agility enables us to put these new ideas into practice quickly.”
The WilmU’s new associate of science in cybersecurity was created in less than six months – a lightning pace for most academic institutions. The U.S. Navy reached out to WilmU in early 2021, the curriculum was created and vetted through the College of Technology, the Academic Council, the Curriculum Committee, the Faculty Senate and the State of Delaware in about three months, and the new program launched last September.