Target, eBay, Equifax, Sony, Yahoo, and Marriott. These are just a few of the giant corporations that have been hacked in the past several years.

Technological trends – such as the internet of things (IoT) and the increase in cloud-based computing – have increased the need for protection against cyber threats, but the lack of cybersecurity professionals who understand and can mitigate these threats is an ongoing privacy concern.

To help address this critical marketplace need, Neumann University is launching two new degree programs in fall 2019:

• Cybersecurity
• Data Science and Analytics

The centerpiece of these two new majors is the Data Analytics Lab. The lab, which opened on Jan. 9, features glass classroom walls, a stock market ticker, mounted TVs with stock information, three 75-inch instructional high-definition screens, rise-display monitors at each desk, and a server lab for hacking simulations.

The server lab has three servers that can operate on or off the university network. During their capstone class, Cybersecurity majors will be assigned roles in simulations where they will have to protect the servers from hackers while classmates try to hack into the technology and obtain data.

“We want to teach our students to use their powers for good, as we state in our mission and core values,” Eric Wellington, dean of Business and Information Management, said about the opportunity for students to learn counter-hacking. “We will teach them the way hackers come in and then how to protect against them.”

Neumann University’s degree in Cybersecurity will give students a background in network security, operating systems, cryptography, incident response, secure programming, vulnerability analysis, social engineering, governance, and risk assessment – all skills designed to prepare a student for a career in this growing field. Career opportunities include security analyst, security architect, network security analyst, security systems administrator, IT security consultant, and many others.

Data Science and Analytics is not only one of the fastest-growing fields in the U.S. but also one of the highest-paying jobs in the tech sector. Neumann’s major in Data Science and Analytics gives students a strong background in statistics, computer science and mathematics, along with the critical thinking skills necessary to analyze voluminous and complex data sets. Students will learn computer programming, database systems management, and data analysis.

Click here for more information about the Cybersecurity and Data Science and Analytics majors.