ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WTVY) -Cybersecurity threats are ever-present, with hackers stealing sensitive information from unsuspecting victims.
Recently, cybercrime marketplaces have had credentials for sale from Lockheed Martin, the army, and the FBI because of info-stealing malware.
This is a sign from the industry to those preparing a new workforce.
“We have a big gap in employment for this area,” Jamie Key,a teacher at Enterprise High School, said.
Key is working with students to teach them all there is to know about cybersecurity.
“We focus on ethical hacking, which we train students to design products for good and not evil. We have to think like the adversaries in order to protect ourselves from the adversaries. We have to understand the motives behind the attacks and the type of attacks they are carrying out so we can defend ourselves,“ she said.
In the cybersecurity and infrastructure program, students get experience in the field in various ways, including competitions.
“So there is a round of competition every month that students participate in. They go in and strengthen and secure the computer system against attacks. That is experience they can put on a resume,” Key said.
They can also graduate with an industry-recognized certification and go straight into the workforce.
Students like Brianna Smith plan to take a different route after high school. Taking this course teaches a lesson that everyone can learn from.
“Cybersecurity is such an integral part of our community and daily lives now. With medical files and banking, if your stuff is not properly protected, then you risk having it exposed, and that’s what has been taught to me,” Smith, a junior at EHS, said.
For students, like Sawyer McAlhany, what started as an interest in computers has crafted a pathway to college and a career.
“I had no idea what I was going to do for college two years ago at this time. I was going to make all my decisions on the fly, but I am happy I found this course. One of my favorite things to do is help people, and it makes me happy that I can have a career and be financially stable doing that,” he said.
Recently, Enterprise High was recognized as a CLAS school of distinction, specifically for the cybersecurity program.
The school’s close proximity to Fort Novosel and strong connections to current industry professionals help tailor the classes to industry needs.
Key encourages industry professionals to get involved in helping schools prepare students for the workforce.
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