ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Jan. 22, 2016) — In a continuing effort to better train U.S. Army engineers in all things cyber, the Army is offering a graduate-level certificate in the Fundamentals of Cybersecurity starting Feb. 10.
The certificate is open to all Aberdeen Proving Ground, or APG, engineers and scientists in the cyber field, including contractors and military personnel. The University of Delaware at the University Center in Aberdeen, Maryland, will offer the classes.
This is the third initiative from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, or CERDEC, in an effort to define the cyber professional at APG.
CERDEC implemented the program after identifying a workforce development gap through an installation-wide needs survey, said Victor Carrozzo, CERDEC Human Capital Cell specialist.
Previous efforts include an undergraduate-level cyber certificate through the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the promotion of a master’s degree in cyber through Johns Hopkins University.
Like the UMBC cohort, the University of Delaware program will be a live cohort at the University Center, formally the Northeastern Maryland Higher Education Applied Technology Center.
CERDEC used the Educational Partnership Agreement between the APG Command Group and the University Center in soliciting and acquiring an appropriate provider.
Carrozzo hopes the live APG solicitation will provide the cohort the ability for students to learn together and share with others in the APG cyber-community.
“Our goal is to promote cross-fertilization and networking within the APG cyber community as well as the technical aspect of learning,” he said.
The Fundamentals of Cybersecurity Certificate provides advanced training through a three-course sequence.
INTRODUCTION TO CYBERSECURITY (CYBER I)
Introduction to computer and network security covers the foundation security policies and methods to provide confidentiality, integrity and availability as well as cryptography, auditing and user security. Topics are reinforced with hands-on exercises run in a virtual machine environment.
SYSTEM HARDENING AND PROTECTION
Practical treatment of the defensive techniques used to harden computer systems to make them less vulnerable to cyberattacks. Defect management, configuration/hardening, account control, logs/auditing, and risk assessment are covered and reinforced with hands-on exercises run in a virtual machine environment.
ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY (CYBER II)
This seminar course explores areas in advanced computer and network security not covered in introductory cybersecurity classes. The course provides insight into realistic complex defensive and offensive cybersecurity topics such as Denial-of-Service attacks, Domain Name System security, email spam, on-line authentication, phishing, cloud security, malware and web security.
Contact CERDEC for more information on CERDEC’s cyber education initiatives.
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The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center is part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, which has the mission to ensure decisive overmatch for unified land operations to empower the Army, the joint warfighter and our nation. RDECOM is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command.