Mount Saint Mary College is proud to announce the establishment of its Center for Cybersecurity, which will be a useful resource to both Mount students and the local community.

The Center for Cybersecurity at Mount Saint Mary College will provide program guidance and oversight to the college’s Cybersecurity major and concentration; bring expert speakers to campus; provide cyber defense resources to the campus and the community; and more. The initiative will be maintained by the college’s Division of Mathematics & Information Technology and supported by an external advisory board of local and national industry professionals, as well as faculty from the Mount and other institutions.

“Cybersecurity is everyone’s business,” noted Sagar Raina, associate professor of Information Technology. “As an institute of higher education in the Hudson Valley, the Mount has a critical role to play in educating people about cybersecurity. The college’s Center for Cybersecurity, through workshops and boot camps led by expert faculty, will provide effective resource for local businesses, schools, and government organizations in cyber defense education and training.”

The center will celebrate its grand opening in October – Cybersecurity Awareness Month – by hosting a series of talks from local leaders in cybersecurity. This includes the following free, public talks on campus in Aquinas Hall, Room 053:

• On Thursday, October 13, at 4 p.m., Alex Valentin, Chief Information Officer at the Mount, will present “The State of Cybersecurity at Mount Saint Mary College.”

• On Thursday, November 3, Frank Casabianca, National Security Agency (NSA) and visiting professor of the United States Military Academy West Point, will present “A Cryptographic Tour of the Enigma.”

The full cybersecurity speaker series schedule can be found at cyber.msmc.edu/cybersecurity-speaker-series
The Center for Cybersecurity joins the ranks of the Mount’s other Centers and Institutes of excellence, including the Catholic and Dominican Institute; the Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD); the Center on Aging and Disability Policy (CADP); the Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL); the Teaching and Learning Cooperative (TLC); and the Desmond Center for Community Engagement and Wellness.

Offered as both an IT concentration and major, the Mount’s Cybersecurity program provides theoretical and hands-on skills to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities in software, operating systems, networks, and more. A major or concentration in Cybersecurity at the Mount can lead to careers in technology, security software, defense, government, teaching, e-commerce, banking, finance, business, and more.

“While it takes years to earn professional status on the internet, a few seconds after a directed hack will take a person from the peak of public accolades to a situation that results in personal identity destruction,” explained Denise McCarroll, instructor of Information Technology. “For anyone seeking to protect the security and privacy of others, learning about cybersecurity is the premiere way that will guide them in ways to protect the future of humanity.”

In addition, the college is offering a Cybersecurity Certificate program with three track options: Cybersecurity, Ethical Hacking, and Digital Forensics.
The Mount’s Division of Mathematics and Information Technology offers a variety of innovative programs in addition to Cybersecurity, such as Actuarial Science and Game Programming. With opportunities for research and application of skills outside the classroom, Math and IT programs prepare students to enter fast-growing fields with the training they need to be successful.