Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland will offer the state’s first bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity engineering beginning this fall.
There are now more than 460,000 cybersecurity openings nationwide, according to CyberSeek, an online resource that tracks supply and demand in this job market. So, the timing for this degree was right, university officials say.
Just in Florida, there is a need for some 21,000 cybersecurity specialists and growth of 20.4% is expected by 2026.
“Computer science deals with improving the security of software and the secrecy and integrity of the data,” said Youssif Al-Nashif, Associate Professor in Florida Poly’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and Computer Science Department. “However, suppose the hardware and the network are not fully secure in terms of architecture and protocols. In this case, the security and trust of the whole information system are jeopardized, including the software and the data. Without securing the hardware and the network, everything running on top of them will have no real security.”
The new cybersecurity engineering bachelor’s degree will concentrate on industrial control systems security, smart-grid and cyber physical security, as well as hardware security. Unlike most programs, which are more in the computer science realm, this new program will focus on security hardware, networks and platforms, according to the university.
Muhammad Rashid, Chair of Florida Poly’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, said the college worked on developing this new program for two years. It will provide new opportunities for industry partnerships and open the door to new career paths for Florida Poly graduates, he said.
