If  you’re thinking about a career change, then you might want to have a look at the rapidly expanding cyber security associate market which is expected to grow from $75 billion in 2015 to $170 billion by 2020.

You would have thought that the massive Target credit card breach back in 2013 would have been a wake-up call for the nation. But it wasn’t. In the year that followed, we saw hacks into UPS, Goodwill, JP Morgan Chase, and Sony, just to name a few. From 2013 through 2016, I personally have had two credit cards and two debit cards replaced due to hackers. But it wasn’t until the 2016 presidential election, that we had to learn, once again, that not only is email insecure, but the potential for election tampering cannot be ignored. As we all witnessed, email can easily be compromised and publicly released with dramatic consequences.

These high-profile data breaches have become increasingly sophisticated threat campaigns. In fact, the sophistication of the technology and tactics used by criminals has rapidly outpaced the ability of IT and security professionals to address them.

Cisco, the global leader of networking hardware, estimates there are more than 1 million unfilled security jobs worldwide.

It’s no wonder that data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the demand for cybersecurity jobs is expected to grow by 53% over the next two years. To make the hiring challenges even more complicated, it has become increasingly difficult for organizations to find workers that are prepared for and can deal with cyber security issues.

Cyber Security Associate

That’s where we can help. At Towson University Continuing & Professional Studies, we have studied the marketplace and have designed an entry-level course designed to help individuals to attain the base level of skills needed to enter the Cyber Security job market. Students looking to improve their existing skills or break into this field can do so in our Cyber Security Associate course. In this 72 hour course, students will progress through three certifications that are crucial within the industry: A+, Network+, and Security +.

In addition, we are developing future courses for security professionals including CISSP, Red Hat, Linux, Ethical Hacking and Cisco’s CCNA Security. If you would like to learn more about our Cyber Security Associate course or other upcoming classes, please contact our business development manager, Chunta Rivers, crivers@towson.edu.