CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 63 A s advancement in technology re- shapes our lives, protecting our in- frastructure, be it at home or work, from cyber threats is more impor- tant than ever. It is no surprise that criminal justice degree programs around the country have been wildly popular for under- grad students, but Methodist University is forging ahead and expanding their curriculum in the field through their Cyber Crimes program. Methodist University began their classes in 2013 and is in the process of being fully developed. e program is funded by a three-year grant. Funds were used to provide new equipment and soware enabling the students to sim- ulate networks and then both attack and defend them. Digital forensics and cybersecurity instructor Sabrina Koncaba hopes to expand the program to include hands- on internships for students through local businesses where they would provide assessments and consulting services in cyber security. As technology advances, so do the crimes. "Our vision is to take a student who knows nothing and at the end they will have a well rounded view of digital forensics and cyber- security," said the instructor. Koncaba further explained the intricacies of cyber crimes and how different attack vectors for a company or person can be infiltrated. To break it down, much like in movies or TV shows, the criminal will learn all about pro- cedures, personnel, routines and then use the tech tools to run reconnaissance on their network to determine servers, open vulnerabilities and ultimately exploit them. "People are the first line of defense," said Koncaba. "It's more than just using the technology and computers." From IT automated compliance to the digital evidence, it's all encompassing when solving a crime. What can students expect from the program? Method- By Kelly Twedell ist University offers a Master of Justice Administration and also an undergraduate degree in the justice studies depart- ment. Currently they offer seven courses expanding to a major in the near future. Justice study students this past year don't have computer skills, but they gain experience each year and the comput- er study students and justice study students blend in the classes. Student benefits of the program are designed for students to understand PC maintenance and repair, networking, setup firewall and detection systems – the computer techie stuff. e students will also be able to talk about equipment and how it will affect return on investment. Many corporations are adopting a "bring your own de- vice" practice – a term used today for people to work more efficiently, but a company still needs to control and manage that since their intellectual property is being used. is is where students as interns could come in and weigh the ben- efits and risks to the corporation. e students will be able to analyze and consult businesses, educating them on the risks and provide viable solutions that can be put into place. Our community is ripe with opportunities through the Department of Defense for qualified individuals with the right combination of education and experience. Koncaba urges employers to do their homework when hiring out. "Don't just go with certifications on paper, do a background check, a credit check, a medical record for medical debt verification – one could be susceptible for a bribe for bad behavior," she said. "Look at different fac- tors. 1. Do a background check 2. Look at their education 3. Look at experience level of the candidate and have them do hands-on stuff – quiz them on the ports that need to be open for DNS work." e instructor advised that while professional develop- ment classes are important and many are self-taught, make sure your candidate is worth what you are paying them to do. FEaturE College students learn to combat cyber crime CyberseCurity I S E V E R Y O N E ' S B u S I N E S S

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