Building the Next Generation of Cyber Professionals, One at a Time

The world faces a critical shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals. Your institution might be taking an active role in developing and offering academic programs to fill this gap, in which case the question for security professionals in higher education is, what can we do to help? We have a unique opportunity because the next generation of cybersecurity professionals is as close as our institution's Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, and other academic programs.

What do we have that academic departments can't offer? We can give students hands-on, real-world experience. Whether constructed formally and offered for credit as an internship or as a less formal student wage position, job experience on a resume will give students an advantage when they enter the job market. They will be ready for productive work from day one, and, who knows, maybe a student or two might decide to stay and work for your security organization!

Concerned about what types of security activities students should participate in? Conducting background checks and fingerprinting of students, as well as communicating a clear understanding of expected professional ethics and behavior, go a long way to mitigating most concerns. Balanced against the potential risk is the benefit of having bright young minds embedded in your organization, which often leads to more creative approaches to problem solving and helps your staff understand life from the student perspective.

In addition to technical experience, students get a friendly and supportive atmosphere to develop good work habits and learn about professional life and challenges. Your rewards include getting to enjoy a sense of accomplishment as your students graduate and move into professional positions: A former student intern of ours was recently hired by a defense contractor. Another talented young lady who will graduate this winter already has offers from two major corporations. A third student just returned from a summer internship with a startup in the Bay Area. Their contributions to my team were substantial; their lifetime contributions to the profession will be invaluable. If you aren't already using students in your security organization, consider giving it a try!

Lanita Collette is the university information security officer at Northern Arizona University (NAU). In this role she directs information security, privacy, and risk management projects and programs for the campus. Prior to her current appointment, she held various management positions in IT at NAU, including assistant director for Enterprise Information Solutions, interim director of Academic Computing, and a variety of team lead positions. In the distant past, Collette was an archaeologist engaged in research on the Colorado Plateau. She has a BA in Anthropology from Bryn Mawr College, an MA in Archaeology from Arizona State University, and Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certifications.