4:50pm Monday, February 5, 2024
Like any other university student, Chijindu Nwahiz has career aspirations. Ultimately, he wants to serve and protect, but not in the way we are traditionally used to.
“I am a cyber defense major,” Nwahiz said. “Basically, I'm here to learn cyber defense.”
Nwahiz is one of about 200 students in Hennepin Institute of Technology's cyber defense program, which started in 2018.
“Essentially, we're learning how to make the cyber world safer for everyone to operate in,” Nwahis said. “I mean, everyone needs security, right?”
Online safety is especially important now that our society is so dependent on technology.
Ryan Brovold, Director of Cyber Security at Hennepin Tech, says threats can come from anywhere.
“A lot of it is coming from the United States, Russia, North Korea,” Brovold said.
Hennepin Tech's Ryan Brovold presents a live cyber threat map.
Attacks can come from all over the world, but there are people from Hennepin Institute of Technology's Brooklyn Park campus who can protect us from those attacks.
“What we’re really excited about here at Hennepin Tech is to offer a program that not only educates the public about personal awareness, but allows them to go out into the workforce and create a career out of them.” said Brovold.
And now there's something to add to the excitement. Hennepin Tech was recently recognized by the National Security Agency (NSA) as an Academic Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity.
“In fact, very few community colleges or technical schools have that designation, so that definitely sets us apart,” Brovold said. “We are the perfect destination for anyone seriously considering a career in cybersecurity.”
This designation will help Hennepin Technical College recruit students and give the university access to curriculum and other resources it would not otherwise have.
At the end of the day, it's students like Nuwahiz who will benefit.
“I felt like IT zero,” Nwahidzu joked. “And now I don’t want to be a bigot, I want to be an IT hero.”
Hennepin Tech has numerous resources available to the public on how to protect themselves from cyber threats. That information is available on the university's website.
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