Fredonia to offer new graduate-level certificate in Cybersecurity

An Advanced Certificate in Cybersecurity, a 100 percent online program, will be offered beginning in the Fall 2021 semester at Fredonia.

The graduate-level program provides background information and skills required for professionals to work in information technology, software engineering, network management, system administration and related areas, said Associate Provost Judith Horowitz. Those completing the program will be prepared to work as information security analysts, information security engineers, penetration testers, IT auditors and compliance testers.

“Our program provides a set of graduate classes that are rarely offered at the undergraduate level, and often not covered at all in higher education,” Dr. Horowitz said.

Unlike associate level programs in cybersecurity and forensics at community colleges, the Fredonia program does not include general education courses. It also differs from bachelor’s level information security programs at four-year universities that are often narrowly focused on network security, incident response and digital forensics, Horowitz explained.

What the Fredonia program does offer is a broader approach to cybersecurity through courses in network administration and system administration that provide a solid foundation for studying information security.

For more information, go to the webpage.

Six graduate-level courses, totaling 18 credit hours, will be taught by Computer and Information Sciences faculty in three academic terms that each run seven weeks. The Advanced Certificate in Cybersecurity program is designed to be completed within six months. Admission requirements include an undergraduate degree.

Courses include: Enterprise Security Operations, Network Security, Application Security, and Penetration Testing, which offers technical depth in information security; Applied Cryptography, which provides a solid mathematical background in addition to the ability to implement cryptographic systems; and Governance, Risk Management and Compliance, which teaches how to relate technical skills to business objectives and business goals – an important component missing from other SUNY security programs.

Cybersecurity is an area of growing importance due to the risks to computers posed by hackers and other malicious parties attempting to access information from cell phones, computers and other devices, said Department of Computer and Information Sciences Chair Junaid Zubairi.

“The use of computers is spreading across the world, and the need to protect information from hackers is also increasing,” said Dr. Zubairi, who developed the program, recently approved by SUNY Central Administration and the New York State Education Department, with others including former Fredonia Lecturer Robert Olson and Computer and Information Sciences Assistant Professor Syed Haider.