St. Cloud Technical and Community College a Center for Cyber Defe

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) - St. Cloud Technical and Community College has announced they’ve been designated a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

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SCTCC’s Cyber Security AAS is a 60-credit program that focuses on foundational information, technology knowledge, and focused cyber security skills to provide graduates with the skills to become security specialists.

Cyber Defense is becoming crucial to businesses as they continue to defend their private information from identity theft, data breaches, and other crimes.

Center Director Brian Volkmuth says the college is positioned well to train students in this high-demand position.

With guidance from the criteria set by the NSA and Dept. of Defense’s Centers of Academic Excellence, SCTCC is dedicated to developing a skilled workforce that will help fill the gap in the growing need for Cybersecurity professionals.

SCTCC Information Technology faculty members Brian Volkmuth and Ryan Salner worked to bring the Cyber Security AAS to SCTCC and started offering the major in the fall semester of 2019.

In August of 2022, the program of study was validated by the National Security Agency’s Center of Academic Excellence Project Management Office, the first step in SCTCC becoming fully designated.

Volkmuth says the additional training opportunities will enhance the program, which has already placed students in both private and public businesses.

We're excited to be part of this community, there are so many opportunities for both the faculty and professional development. There's content being provided to us that cost us very little, and the model learning we'll be able to do at those conferences is quite an exciting opportunity. I love that we're a geographically centralized Community College, we should have a great area to draw students from and I'm really hoping to build that over the next few years.

More information on the Cyber Defense program at S-C-T-C-C can be found online here.