Justin Kline, Instructor of Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity
A hacker attacks every 39 seconds, affecting one in three Americans every year; Companies crumble, identities become stolen, and savings accounts are wiped clean. These are just a few examples of how cybersecurity threats wreck lives. The relevancy of cybersecurity is more important than ever because it is involved in everything we do. But how do we combat these cybersecurity threats and take a proactive approach to cybersecurity? We need to fight cyber with cyber.
The Waubonsee Community College Cybersecurity Program provides this answer and gives students the knowledge and tools to overcome these threats and succeed in their careers.
What does it take to be successful here? I am often asked by students when they come to the Cybersecurity Program at Waubonsee Community College. The answer is that employers want to hire a SWAN: Smart, Works Hard, Ambitious, and Nice employee.
Successful cybersecurity students are smart, particularly when it comes to the talents and capabilities mandatory for their precise career. When we train people in cybersecurity at Waubonsee Community College, we encourage them to ask a lot of questions. Students who have cybersecurity talent are more efficient, produce fewer blunders, and are more effective. We don’t just have them memorize facts in a book. We present them with a scenario where all the solutions are correct, but the student must choose the best solution and explain why.
The cybersecurity industry needs people who work hard because they are more successful at their jobs. Cybersecurity does not sleep, so if you want to work a regular 9-5 job, cybersecurity might not be for you. Our cybersecurity program is not challenging, but it is hard work. We put together a cybersecurity program that demonstrates the virtues of hard work and prepares the student for a career field in cybersecurity. One way we do this is with hands-on labs that allow the student to configure computer systems just like they would in their career. Students can prepare themselves to earn industry-standard IT certifications in cybersecurity with the Waubonsee Community College Cybersecurity Program.
Waubonsee Cybersecurity students can demonstrate to employers that they have the foundational skills to make them ideal candidates. Ambitious students are hungry to be successful and excited about their projects, not an upcoming title or perk. Ambition motivates them to develop and complete their goals in their classroom and career. When teachers inspire and motivate students, it allows students to pay it forward. Students are passionate about their purpose, and Waubonsee Community College guides them in their cybersecurity journey.
Nice students are upbeat, don’t create waves, are happy, and helpful with their colleagues. We teach soft skills in class so that they are ready for the workforce. This includes time management because the cybersecurity field is dynamic, and you can have many problems happening at once. With the hands-on, lab, and IT certificate-based training, our students learn career enablers that demonstrate soft skills that make them unique from other candidates and be effective from day one.
