Instructor Dave Riske teaches a Computer Information Technology class at Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nev., on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2017.
Photo by Cathleen Allison/Nevada Photo Source
Western Nevada College in Carson City plans to launch a cyber security program.
The program was made possible through funding from the Office of Science, Innovation and Technology.
“The goal of this project is to prepare IT professionals for applied security positions able to effect change in their networked computer environment and services,” said Dave Riske, a Computer Information Technology/CISCO Technology/IS instructor at WNC. “Current training opportunities in the Northern Nevada area for these skills rely on ‘bootcamp’-style training seminars provided by commercial organizations. These training camps are often far more expensive than a college course and focus primarily on certification and less on acquisition of skills and knowledge.”
“The need for cybersecurity professionals is growing in Nevada, both in state government and in the private sector. In Nevada, the projected growth rate in the number of jobs requiring cybersecurity skills through 2022 is 30 percent. These jobs have an average wage of about $85,000,” said Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology Director Brian Mitchell.
The OSIT Grant enables WNC to become an EC-Council Academic training partner, allowing the college to offer certification courses for Certified Network Defender, Certified Ethical Hacker and Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator, extending the current WNC degree track. EC-Council certifications are known and respected worldwide.
Individuals interesting in studying cyber security, may contact Riske at 775-445-3255 or dave.riske@wnc.edu.
