FBI, Secret Service certify Jackson State Community College computer

Source: Jackson Sun

Members of the FBI and Secret Service were at Jackson State Community College on Tuesday to officially certify one of the college?s computer degrees as government approved.

Jackson State is now one of only 24 out of the more than 1,200 community colleges throughout the U.S. that has received a certification as a National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance 2-Year Education. The certification was issued jointly by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

The certification means the two-year college has met the criteria of establishing core classes, cooperating with other colleges and universities to share information, and creating a security network for its own information technology systems as established by the two government agencies. The certification is held by 166 campuses and institutions throughout the U.S. Only three other Tennessee colleges have received the certification: University of Memphis; UT Chattanooga and Fountainhead College of Technology, said Dr. Tom Pigg, who wrote the proposal for certification.

?This certification is important to us as a college,? he said, ?but it is more important to our mission of teaching those people who are going to protect our (IT) systems.?

Classes to obtain the assurance certificate include core computer classes, such as programming and design, database systems and Linux. But students in the certificate program also will study digital forensics, secure electronic commerce and enterprise security management. The two-year program is designed to train people how to secure all types of Internet and database systems, not just those used by the federal government, said Jackson State President Bruce Blanding.

?We know there are people who want to attack our military and federal government,? he said, ?but it does no less harm if they attack our companies and state governments.?

The need for trained people who can prevent or track cyber attacks has become essential as hospitals, corporations, small businesses, airlines and people become more dependent on the Internet, cell phones, Wi-Fi, and other technology for communication, scheduling, product design, medical treatments and other information, said Richard Harlow, special agent in charge of the Memphis Field Office of the United States Secret Service.

?For every crime there is computer evidence,? he said. ?So it is becoming more and more important.?

People who pass the assurance program and subsequent certification exams usually earn a starting salary of $38,990 to $48,840, according to documents from Jackson State.

Jackson State charges $164 per credit hour for classes. That includes parking and all computer class fees. That means an incoming freshman, who must take all 60 credit hours of coursework, would pay $9,840 without the help of any grants. That cost could be lower for those who do not have to take some core college requirements, such as composition I or general biology, for example.

Jackson State began working toward acquiring the government?s Information Assurance 2-year Education certificate in 2006. FBI Special Agent Steve Champine said teaching people how to secure computer networks and track infiltrators into those networks is essential because the Internet now allows the nation?s enemies to gather information and cause interruptions from anywhere.

?It used to be that spies had to leave their country and come to our shores to commit crimes,? he said. ?That is no longer necessary.?

Read at jacksonsun.com

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Source: http://www.ccnewsnow.com/?p=28777

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