Basha High School Introduces Cybersecurity Program

By on August 19, 2019 0 1273Views

Cybersecurity has become incredibly important in this day in age. The profession is also in need of more workers. So, Basha High School is setting up their students to succeed in the field.

The academy is called the Institute of Cyber Operations & Networking (ICON). It was started thanks to assistance from Chandler-Gilbert Community College and the University of Arizona.

In this program, students will learn about software and hardware in its entirety. The program will be on campus and will be on its own network.

“We are going to have an opportunity for kids to go play in this sandbox where they learn to hack or fight off hacks, and we don’t want it to be in the same place as teacher grade books are or anything like that,” said Basha Principal David Loutzenheiser. “We want to keep everything safe and secure.”

The students who stick with the program throughout their high school career can earn up to 70 college credits and earn up to six certifications.

Cybersecurity companies are constantly looking for new talent to add to their rosters. CEO and Founder of Trusona, Ori Eisen is very happy that schools are beginning to realize his company’s needs.

“The state that will invest in training their students in cybersecurity will create wealth, jobs, stability and power unlike any other place,” said Eisen.

CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, Steven Zylstra, thinks it is great that these kids will be able to help fill the voids in this field in the coming future.

“Just in Arizona, there are over 7,000 open positions — just in cybersecurity,” said Zylstra. “I do not know whether or not in the next 10 years we can fill the gap because there is so much demand, believe it or not.”

Finding a job fresh out of college can be difficult. A career in cybersecurity could give these students a better guarantee that they will find a stable job when they graduate. This is appealing and intriguing for Basha’s current pupils.

“There is always going to be a job in cybersecurity,” ICON student Ethan Earl said. “A lot of things seem complicated, but it just takes perseverance, and eventually, things come together.”

Click here to to learn more about Basha High School’s Cybersecurity program.