Institute of Technology Carlow Launches Degree Course in Cybercrime and IT Security Amid Global Talent Gap for Cyber Professionals
Institute of Technology Carlow today launched the country’s first Bachelor of Science Honours Degree programme in Cybercrime and IT Security. The move, according to the Institute, is a response to the global talent gap for cyber professionals and one that will assist Ireland’s development as a world-class cyber security practices, solutions and investment hub.
And with cyber security being one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global technology industry, graduates of the programme will be highly sought after and have their choice of job offers, according to international experts Niccolo Alicandri, co-founder and chief business officer of global security monitoring specialists CipherTechs Inc. and CipherTechs EMEA Ltd. general manager Laurence Conroy, who launched the degree course today.
Cybercrime degree course launched at IT Carlow
“When we studied the planned programme for this new degree course at IT Carlow it was apparent that graduates would achieve specialised in-depth expertise in the essential areas of proactive cyber threat detection and mitigation. CipherTechs recognises that the Institute of Technology Carlow’s newBachelor of Science Honours Degree programme in Cybercrime and IT Security will be an ideal template for the security analysts and engineers of the future that we would like to hire”, commented Laurence Conroy, General Manager , CipherTechs EU Ltd.
The first Cybercrime and IT Security undergraduates will begin their four-year course this September. They will acquire specialist knowledge from a comprehensive syllabus that includes: advanced programming; software engineering; networking; cybercrime legislation; computer forensics; reverse engineering and malware analysis andpenetrating testing (ethical hacking). Year three of the four-year programme will also include a six-month placement in industry. Career options include roles in ethical hacking, secure application development, secure network management and digital forensics.
The World Economic Forum in Davos has identified cyber related threats as one of the highest of all global risks in terms of impact of events and likelihood of events occurring. According to the Centre for Strategic Studies, the annual global cost of digital crime and intellectual property theft is US$445 billion. In response, the global IT research and advisory firm Gartner estimates the global IT security spend will soar to $101 billion in 2018, and hit $170 billion by 2020, leading to a rapid growth in the cyber security sector worldwide.
Ireland’s digital economy contributes 5% of national GDP and provides employment for over 100,000 people. Protecting personal data, sustaining investment and ensuring the continued reliable functioning of information and communications technologies, and of the Internet, are priorities for Ireland.
“Responding to the current and future needs of industry, ongoing collaboration with corporate partners and an experienced and dedicated faculty are central, we believe, to demonstrating best practice as educators and to providing an engine of growth for the region and country. One of the biggest factors in meeting industry needs is higher education and training. In order to capitalise on the opportunity to become a global cyber hub, we must ensure Ireland has a talent pool of cyber professionals. This degree programme will deliver for the digital technology sector, nationally and internationally. I thank and congratulate all who have and will continue to contribute to this”, commented Dr. Patricia Mulcahy, President of Institute of Technology Carlow.
Application for the programme will be via the CAO under the code CW258. Graduates with a relevant Bachelor of Science Degree are eligible to apply for advanced entry onto the programme. Mature applicants will be assessed on an individual basis and may be interviewed.
ICT is an area in which Institute of Technology Carlow has excelled for many years. The Institute was the first in the country to offer a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Computer Games Development, developed with the assistance and support of Microsoft. The Institute has a strong collaborative partnership with UNUM at both undergraduate and postgraduate research level across a wide range of activities.
Institute of Technology offers degree courses in Computer Games Development, Software Development and Computing Systems Management, via its department of computing and networking.