Zane State Program Protects Against Cyber Threats

To protect against cyber threats, Zane State College is offering a new program.

The two year online Information Assurance and Securities Strategies degree aims to prepare students for cyber defense positions. Professor Barb Miller discussed the program with the Noon Rotary Club of Zanesville Tuesday.

“The goal of the program is to train individuals who want to go out and have a skill in the workforce that is in high demand right now,” Miller said. “They have the technical expertise, the background and then they’ll have all of the tools that businesses and companies and industry are looking for that will help them protect their data and infrastructures.”

Miller said the program started because Zane State feels it is necessary to have people defending against cyber attacks. According to Miller, everyone needs to watch out for these attacks.

“I think it’s a message that everybody is a target,” Miller said. “When we look at this we think that it’s only our older population or it’s only the younger population or it’s only business or it’s only industry, and I would probably venture to guess that at least 95 percent of the people in this room will have been touched in some way already by some type of cyber security scam or threat.”

Miller compared protecting your computer and your online footprint to protecting your house or car. She said you need to be careful of where and who you give your information to online.