Cedarville Magazine Summer 2018

You use technology every day. But just how safe is your personal information online? With every credit card purchase or text you send, someone could be watching. More than ever, cybersecurity professionals are necessary to protect the privacy of personal information online. Through its cybersecurity program and new Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity, Cedarville University is preparing an elite force of data defenders. In May 2018, Cedarville graduated its first class of computer science students with specialized training in cybersecurity. Nine students graduated with a Bachelor of Science in computer science degree with a specialization in cyber operations, but many other computer science and computer engineering students have benefited from courses in the track. These graduates are well-equipped to meet the latest security demands and to defend the safety of individuals, businesses, and the nation. “We live in a world that is oriented around cyberspace and is becoming more so all of the time,” said Seth Hamman, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity. “Cybersecurity is now crucial to the proper functioning of our economy, the well-being of our citizenry, and even to the safeguarding of our freedoms.” STRONG FOUNDATION Cedarville’s cybersecurity track began in 2016, but the field of cybersecurity has played a significant role in the computer science program since its inception in 1999. The computer science program was founded and established by three Cedarville professors: David Gallagher, Professor of Computer Science; Keith Shomper, Professor of Computer Science; and Robert Schumacher, Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematics. They had all retired from the U.S. Air Force and had extensive experience teaching at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), and the U.S. Air Force Academy. “These men not only brought an incredible amount of expertise to guide them as they started our program at Cedarville, but also amazing connections that would help our program grow, especially in the area of cybersecurity,” said Hamman. Cedarville was a prime location to create a computer science program because it is only 20 miles from WPAFB and AFIT, a major national hub of cybersecurity activity. As Cedarville maintained close ties with WPAFB and AFIT, many graduates were welcomed into AFIT’s graduate programs. From there, many have entered cybersecurity careers. By 2012, Cedarville’s computer science program had matured and established an outstanding reputation as a technical program. It was time to hone an area of expertise. With a long history of cybersecurity involvement, students’ strong desire to study it, and the increasing need for cybersecurity worldwide, Cedarville chose to develop an expertise in the field. Cybersecurity education is a new field, only recently emerging as an offshoot of computer science, which itself has only been around 50 years. Cedarville’s movement toward cybersecurity was enhanced in 2012 by the hiring of Hamman, who earned his Ph.D. in cybersecurity at AFIT. Two years later, Cedarville hired Patrick Dudenhofer ’04, who had 10 years of experience working in the Air Force Research Laboratory. Dudenhofer is completing his Ph.D. in computer science at Wright State University, focusing on cybersecurity research. “Because of God’s providential leading over the past several years, Cedarville’s computer science program has cyber-trained faculty, many alumni working in cybersecurity, and a great reputation among cybersecurity communities in academia, industry, and government,” said Hamman. The strength of Cedarville’s program was recently acknowledged by the National Security Agency, which named Cedarville a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations. “This is a powerful stamp of approval for our program,” Hamman said. CAREER PREPARATION One strength and distinctive of Cedarville’s cyber program is its focus on technical skills. Students spend less time Pictured on the previous page are computer science graduates Richard Lively ’18, Emily Wolf ’18, Noah Shinabarger ’18, and Christopher Brauns ’18, with Seth Hamman, Associate Professor of Computer Science, center. 14 | Cedarville Magazine