Cedarville Magazine Spring 2022

FAST-TRACK Relatively speaking, Cedarville’s program has grown as fast as a computer hacker pounds a keyboard and discovers crucial information on your favorite TV show. That Cedarville’s program is one of the most highly regarded in the nation is not a marketing slogan. The young program is one of 22 to receive the National Security Agency’s (NSA) highest recognition as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations. “For Cedarville to be on that list to me is a marvel,” Hamman said. “It’s an elite type of distinction. And we geared up for it; we targeted it; we built around it. And then, by God’s grace, it happened.” The scholarship and career opportunities with defense contractors and the intelligence community are abundant. The Department of Defense (DOD) is funding seven Cedarville students (three seniors, four juniors) with full scholarships, $25,000 a year in living expenses, and an internship. In return, the students are committed to work two years with the DOD after graduation. “Our government is investing huge resources into cyber education because we have a pipeline problem,” Hamman said. “We desperately need to produce more cyber talent.” After the Cedarville students complete their two-year DOD commitment, they can stay or move into the private sector — likely to a defense contractor — and make a higher salary. The first out-of-college jobs are bordering on six figures because the demand is so high. “It’s a good time to be tech-oriented because there’s a huge demand and short supply,” Hamman said. “The job prospects are incredible.” CYBER DEFENDERS Hamman says the demand exists because cyberattacks are the nation’s foremost national security concern. For this reason, the University launched the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity in 2018. The center focuses on advancing cybersecurity in our nation by developing tomorrow’s cyber leaders in the classroom, shaping cyber education in the academy, and promoting cyber awareness in society. The center will increase Cedarville’s opportunity for influence as more issues develop with cyberattacks. The center’s move to the Scharnberg Business Center, which is slated to begin construction this fall, should only raise cyber’s profile on campus and in the professional ranks. “Cybersecurity underpins the entire intelligence and military apparatus,” Hamman said. “Nations are not going to war, but they’re making strategic gains against one another in terms of espionage and other types of activities. When we read about China and Russia in the news it’s usually because of some kind of cyber operation, some kind of hack.” Cedarville’s cyber program is also one of 350 schools with the National Security Agency’s designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Cedarville is one of just two schools that hold both NSA designations and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Cybersecurity accreditation. “It’s an additional indicator that we’re building our cyber program the right way,” Hamman said. “We’re teaching the right content. We are doing the right activities, such as cyber competitions and service to the community. We’ve been scrutinized and vetted by peers.” INDUSTRY RECOGNITION This past fall, the program was named one of the top 16 cyber education programs in the U.S. by the Chief Information Officers Institute. It’s getting hard to keep up with all the accolades. So how did Cedarville become a leader so fast in this fledgling academic discipline? The discussion began when Hamman arrived at Cedarville in 2012 to teach computer science. The topic of conversation was what kind of doctoral program should he pursue. That’s when Gallagher floated the cyber idea. Gallagher and Keith Shomper, Professor of Computer Science and Cyber Operations, and Bob Schumacher, Pictured left to right: Patrick Dudenhofer ’04, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Cyber Operations; Seth Hamman, Associate Professor of Cyber Operations and Computer Science; and Keith Shomper, Professor of Computer Science and Cyber Operations 2 Center for Academic Excellence designations from the National Security Agency 24 | Cedarville Magazine