Anthony Haddad, Cybersecurity Program chair and administrative instructor, Rowan College of South Jersey, is all smiles while holding the National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense award the program received from the National Security Agency (NSA).
The Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) Cybersecurity Program was honored by the National Security Agency (NSA) at a special event last spring. In March, the program received the distinguished Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense award from the NSA, at a ceremony held in Louisville, Ky.
The program, at RCSJ–Cumberland, is designed to be approachable, practical, and a good foundation for further study at any four-year college or university. It also equips students with both offensive and defensive security to protect every organization’s computer network infrastructure against cybercrime.
“So, the goal for the [Cybersecurity Program] is to learn the strategies, the technique, and the methodology to prevent that from happening,” said Anthony Haddad, Cybersecurity Program chair and administrative instructor, RCSJ. “There are a lot of bad actors out there and their goal is to exploit any vulnerabilities within your network or on your personal device.”
“Our goal is ethical,” he continued. "We learn the skills and the methods to defend or exploit with the same information that threat actors use to give better opportunities for us to defend our network.”
Cybersecurity is an emerging and fast-growing field that offers innumerable career opportunities for those interested. Jobs that are available for students who graduate from the RCSJ Cybersecurity Program include IT security, network security, policy creation, plus more.
“With this particular degree, they’re able to work anywhere around the country because every state across the board – from federal to state to local governments, as well as industries – are looking for employees that have the skill sets [we teach our students],” Haddad said.
Students, in the program, are also encouraged to participate in the College’s Cybersecurity Club.
“[They] learn how to work together,” he said. “We compete in the National Cyber League and other competitions. [This helps] to enhance the skill set they’re learning in classes and then can use the skill set to compete against other colleges or universities to win an award or get a higher ranking.”
“The goal of this program is two-fold,” Haddad continued. “One is to prepare the student to complete a degree at a four-year university. The second aspect … is to prepare the student with not only the curriculum, but the industry certificates that would enable them to get a job. It looks good on their resume.”
Haddad, who has taught at RCSJ since 2017, said students who receive industry certificates gain an added advantage over their employment seeking competitors. Industry certs that students can earn in the program include Security +, Linux +, Network +, and CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker).
“[Students get] an understanding of what the industry expectations are and the things that can take place within the industry,” he said. “What the competition does is give them that practical understanding of the work environment.
“This is a zero-unemployment degree. That means if you get into this field, and you get yourself deeply involved [and] you get your diploma [and] your industry certs … you don’t have to ever worry about being unemployed.”
The Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense award designates RCSJ’s Cybersecurity Program as one that is aligned with United States government standards and practices. The federal government and industry need approximately 700,000 to a million employees in the cybersecurity field, Haddad noted.
“We went through a rigorous process to get this designation, and it was approved,” he said. “As long as we continue developing the program it will be wonderful for students. Businesses are now aware that the program’s out there and know that the students are learning the fundamental concepts, theory, and practical hands-on to get ready for the workforce.”
“One of the goals of the symposium is just to get the local community to [know] we are here,” Haddad said. “The symposium is [also] focused on high schools and students who want to get involved in cybersecurity.”
The administrative instructor was ecstatic to learn that RCSJ won the prestigious award and is excited for what the federal government approved designation can provide for students.
“I love teaching. I love interacting with my students, I love to see how they progress,” Haddad said. “They come into this thing, understanding nothing about cybersecurity, then they graduate with a wealth of knowledge and skills that can make a difference in our nation’s infrastructure.
“That makes me feel proud.”
