Listen to this articleLess than two years after its founding, York University’s School of Continuing Studies is announcing another innovative certificate program. Ontario’s first comprehensive cyber security certificate program aligned to the Certified Information Systems Security Professional Common Body of Knowledge (CISSP CBK) will begin this November. The program will help provide qualified security professionals in one of the fastest growing tech fields in the world. We caught up with York University’s Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly to learn more.
Q: What prompted York to offer the Cyber Security program?
A: York University’s School of Continuing Studies has a mandate to deliver high-quality, relevant education that reflects the needs of employers and students.
Given the number of high-profile examples of information security breaches, it’s not surprising that this is an area in which organizations in every sector are trying to proactively mitigate risk. This is one of the fastest growing tech fields in the world and experts are forecasting that the cyber security job market will double in the next five years. Canada has a significant skills-deficit in this area.
In many organizations, IT managers have been newly tasked with oversight of this function. Many tell us that they feel under-prepared to answer the questions that their boards, executives and regulators have on the topic.
There is a significant and growing demand for candidates with (ISC)2’s CISSP designations to fill roles with six figure salaries such as Computer Security Specialists, Information Security Managers, and Senior Security Analysts. Employers tell us that they can’t hire enough staff quickly enough for these well-paying roles. In fact, our research tells us that this field will double in the next 5 years.
Employers need to hire or develop people with comprehensive knowledge quickly. We’ve designed our program to specifically meet this need. In just 5 months students will complete the Certificate in Cyber Security Fundamentals to demonstrate their new foundational knowledge in the subject to employers. They can complete the Certificate in Advanced Cyber Security in just five more months to demonstrate their comprehensive knowledge. Then, depending on their amount of work experience in any of the CISSP domain areas, graduates can write the CISSP exam right away or be qualified to fill cyber security roles to gain that experience.
Q: Who is the Cyber Security program geared towards?
A: The Program is for people with experience and/or education in IT who want to specialize in Cyber Security to qualify for a growing and lucrative job market. They may be IT specialists or they may business people who lead IT projects, teams or departments or teams or administrator who are seeking to manage new information security responsibilities. For example, someone a diploma or a degree in a non-IT field and two years of relevant work experience could complete the Certificate in Cyber Security Fundamentals and be qualified for an IT manager or consultant role. Someone with more or related education could take the Certificates to prepare for a career as a Senior Security Analyst.
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Q: How will students know that the program is valuable to their careers?
A: This program has been developed in partnership the Lassonde School of Engineering to align with the globally recognized Certified Information Systems Security Professional Common Body of Knowledge.
Q: Give me a brief overview of the offering. What can people expect?
A: The Cyber Security Program is a pair of five-month certificates, the Certificate in Cyber Security Fundamentals and the Certificate in Advanced Cyber Security, each with three courses covering the body of knowledge (ISC)2 requires for certification. Each Certificate is offered in a blended format with most of the course work delivered online and one three-day weekend of intensive classroom study in each of the three courses. Students progress through each Certificate as a group. At the end of the first Certificate, a student might choose to continue on to the Advanced Certificate immediately to finish both certificates in just 10 months, or they may take a break and still be qualified to lead teams and projects related to information security management. Graduates of the Advanced Certificate who successfully earn the CISSP will be prepared to be Computer Security Specialists, Information Security Managers and Senior Security Managers. Our curriculum is much more comprehensive than the boot camps aligned to the CISSP. As one of our Advisory Council members pointed out, this is for people who want to confidently master the field not just prepare for a test.
Q: When is the program’s first intake?
A: The first intake begins in November 2016. Students will graduate with a Certificate in Cyber Security in mid-April. The Certificate in Advanced Cyber Security Management starts one week later will be completed by the end of the summer. Graduation times planned to align with the CISSP exam for those who meet the experience requirement.
Q: The program is mostly taken online. How does the format work? Will be there live online lectures or is most of the work independent as with a traditional online format?
A: The program is actually mostly face to face – the number of classroom hours is double the online commitment (24 vs 12). It has been structured this blended format to help learners balance professional and personal commitments. Many students will be working in busy IT departments. By efficiently delivering the in-class portions in just one three-day weekend per course, and delivering the rest online, we can offer students the balance they need while respecting the employers need to minimize the time a student will be away from the office.
The online component will primarily focus on asynchronous learning to honor our commitment to helping working professionals balance their schedules. That means that students will not be required to be online at a specific time each week. However the courses will provide opportunities for collaboration, interaction and access to a variety of learning tools including videos, optional live learning sessions, etc..
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Q: What sort of online support is available to students?
A: Students receive a lot of support during the online portion. All instructors are committed to facilitating an engaging and interactive learning experience which includes quick response time to student questions/inquires. Training and orientation videos are available to assist students in their transition to their online Moodle classroom. Students will also have access to York University’s five libraries including a vast network of online books and journals. They will also have a dedicated support team to assist with any non-academic questions or challenges.
Q: Will students have the opportunity for hands-on experience?
A: Absolutely. In a complex and high stakes field such as cyber security, it is critical that students have the opportunity to apply and try their new knowledge in low risk settings. As they progress through the program, students will build their skills through interactive activities, such as simulations, and assessments which they can build into an e-portfolio. Case projects that demonstrate how they can tackle real-world security challenges which they can bring to their employers or to job interviews as a way to demonstrate their newly acquired expertise; something our advisory council members (i.e., employers) tell us will be valuable in helping them to assess candidates for jobs in this field.
Q: When students head to class for their three three-day sessions, what can they expect?
A: In their first week of class of each Certificate, students will come together for their first three-day session, so they can begin to establish connections and networks before learning online. They will have the opportunity to meet their instructors, tour the campus, and learn about the York resources available to them. Every three-day session will be a robust, and engaging experience which will include group discussions, projects, presentations and simulations. Some sessions may include industry experts as guest lecturers and professional development sessions.
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Q: Students gain two certificates by the time they complete the program. Do they have to complete both? What is the advantage of this?
A: Students do not have to complete both certificates, but there is advantage for those interested in the CISSP designation or who need the program as a refresher. Each Certificate covers different CISSP domains. The Certificate in Cyber Security Fundamentals examines the material required by effective IT managers and to efficiently lead project teams such as information security governance and defense and data, privacy and identify protection, along with an overview of the field. The Certificate in Advanced Cyber Security builds upon the foundational knowledge gained in the first Certificate to develop managerial competencies and a more thorough understanding of the eight knowledge areas required for the CISSP designation including engineering for information security, cyber security assessment, operations management and software development security.
By completing both Certificates, students will heighten their understanding of the CISSP domains, be more prepared for the exam and develop a more comprehensive e-portfolio to prepare for more senior information security roles. The wide range of learning material covered in the 6 courses will prepare students to take on challenging roles and more effectively lead project teams.
This is just one of many innovative new programs offered by the School of Continuing Studies including a new degree pathway for students balancing careers with their studies and new post-graduate certificates in Accounting, Business Administration and Human Resources Management.
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