The deadline is tomorrow (May 3, 2013) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s new Cyber Student Initiative and there may still be time for you to apply.
The program is open to students enrolled in a two-year college program related to cybersecurity. “…these student volunteer positions will provide an opportunity to develop and gain invaluable hands-on experience at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) forensics lab,” states the DHS.
Sponsored School(s)
The internship lasts between 4 and 18 weeks and can take place in one of over 30 cities across the U.S. You need to e-mail a resume, a current transcript (“unofficial copy accepted”) and indicate which location you prefer to complete the program in. And if you don’t have time to apply this time, keep it on your radar should they be offering it again.
High Demand for Cybersecurity and IT Security Professionals
DHS’s Cyber Student Initiative is just one of several programs popping up across the country to meet the increasing demand for cybersecurity and information security experts.
To put this demand into perspective, consider recent findings from Burning Glass Technologies. “A report from Burning Glass Technologies, which develops technologies designed to match people with jobs, shows that demand for cybersecurity professionals over the past five years grew 3.5 times faster than demand for other IT jobs and about 12 times faster than for all other jobs,” reported Computerworld’s Jaikumar Vijayan in March.
In his article, Vijayan added there were 73% more computer or cybersecurity-related job postings in 2012 compared to 2007; and specifically “information security engineers” and “security analysts” were the job titles most in demand.
Before College & University
To meet the growing demand for IT security professionals, educational systems are even striving to educate and inspire primary and secondary students.
Take for example Florida’s Senate Bill 1076 (the “Career and Professional Education Act”) which was signed in April. Part of the bill’s mandate includes integrating technology skills and practice into the classroom. This entails the “Florida Cyber Security Recognition and the Florida Digital Arts Recognition for elementary school students” and a “Florida Digital Tools Certificate for middle school students,” states a press release from the Florida Senate President Office (April 22, 2013).
College & University Programs
Naturally, the number of cybersecurity and related programs offered by colleges and universities is also on the rise. These range from undergraduate and graduate degrees to certificate programs and include a range of topics, from courses on security policy and negotiation management to hands-on technical training, network defense design and preparation for relevant certifications (i.e. CISSP, CISM or CISA).
For more information on schools offering cyber security and information security degree programs, visit our criminal justice schools directory:http://criminaljusticeschoolinfo.com/schools/
For more information on the DHS’ Cyber Student Initiative, visit: http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/SHP_Cyber_Student_Initiative_Bulletin.pdf