WVU partners with Dept. of Defense to give students cybersecurity skills

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WDTV) - A realistic cyber attack simulation will soon be possible at West Virginia University through a partnership with the U.S. Cyber Command’s Academic Engagement Network.

WVU officials said the University will be one of 84 educational institutions that will work with CYBERCOM, part of the U.S. Department of Defense.

Students will engage in applied research and innovation while gaining valuable cybersecurity workforce training.

This translates into a leadership advantage in a rapidly growing field, according to Anurag Srivastava, professor and chair of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

“Cybersecurity is the fastest growing degree program in our department,” Srivastava said. “We always tell students that there are almost half a million cybersecurity jobs open right now. It’s here to stay and in fact, increase.”

Students can also major in cybersecurity at the John Chambers College of Business and Economics, from the approach of management information systems.

“While we cover a variety of security strategies and technologies in our classes, we really focus on teaching students how to be effective cybersecurity problem-solvers,” Chris Ramezan, assistant professor of cybersecurity at Chambers College, said. “Not only are we trying to solve technical problems, we’re trying to do it in a way that supports the business mission. Developing solutions to solve security issues is one thing but ensuring that each solution works in a way that supports the organization’s mission is something else entirely.”

Both computer science and business school majors will have access to CYBERCOM’s academic partnership, including expertise from some of the country’s most eminent cybersecurity experts and prestigious civilian internship opportunities.