Ron Woerner’s TEDxOmaha talk “Hackers Wanted” is now available on In it, he explains how many of us are hackers and don’t even know it. The world needs more hackers. The video contains his vision for building our next generation of hackers, computer scientists, IT administrators, and cybersecurity professionals.
[Article courtesy of the BUZZ, Cris Hay-Merchant]
Doug Rausch, Director of the Center for Cybersecurity Education at Bellevue University, was named College Tech Educator of the Year at the 2019 Tech Celebration by the non-profit AIM Institute. The announcement was made Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, during AIM’s annual celebration celebrating outstanding tech talent in the community.
Rausch, who also serves as Program Director for Bellevue University’s undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity programs, has more than 30 years of experience providing communication systems and cybersecurity expertise in both the defense and commercial sectors. Rausch retired in 2013 as a Colonel and cyber operations officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he held key leadership positions with Air Force Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command.
“Doug Rausch brings cybersecurity education to life for students,” said Dr. Mary Hawkins, President of Bellevue University. “His ability to connect with students at every level and to seek out challenging and exciting opportunities for applied learning has helped hundreds of students find paths forward to successful careers.”
The AIM Institute College Educator Award recognizes a post-secondary educator who helps develop and build the future generation of tech talent and is an outstanding technology educator or administrator, a dynamic colleague and a caring mentor to students.
Rausch joined Bellevue University in 2014 and was named the Maenner Endowed Chair in 2017. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the College of Science and Technology. Under his leadership, the University’s cybersecurity program has more than doubled in enrollment to 700+ students. Rausch played an instrumental role in the development and design of the C&A Industries Intelligence Systems Lab on the University’s main campus in Bellevue. The lab brings together cybersecurity, data sciences and Systems Network Administration (SNAP) education programs.
https://www.bellevue.edu/about/media-relations/stories/2019-11-doug-rausch-college-tech-educator
Ron Woerner, BU Cybersecurity Instructor, will be a featured speaker at this year’s TEDxOmaha. Ron’s talk will be about re-framing the search for cybersecurity talent – he’s calling his talk “Hackers Wanted.”
TEDxOmaha will be held November 9th at Creighton University’s Harper Center. Tickets and information available at TEDxOmaha.com
Remember in the not too distant past having to explain what cybersecurity was to family, friends, and co-workers? With all the news of breaches that doesn’t seem to be much of a problem any longer however some of our course titles still give people pause. The Bellevue Leader recently did an article on a few courses that made them think twice – our Ethical Hacking course included.
Bellevue Leader – Strange Courses a Vital Part to BU Education
Our CAE Community Virtual Career Fair is occurring September 27th, see details at the link to register as a job seeker or employer.
https://www.caecommunity.org/news/2019-cae-virtual-career-fair
Our BU National Cyber League is heading into its second year and we are looking for players. Team members have a great time putting their skills to the test in both the individual and team events. We start our Fall league in mid-October so we are forming our team now.
If interested contact Prof Rausch (drausch@bellevue.edu).
More information on the National Cyber League can be found here: https://www.nationalcyberleague.org/fall-season.
Assistant Professor Doug Rausch discussed the upcoming GenCyber summer camp with Mike Hogan on KIOS.
15 Bellevue University students participate in the spring season of the National Cyber League Capture the Flag competition. Participating institutions fielded 627 teams to compete over a three day period to see who could solve the most challenges in the areas of:
Bellevue fielded two teams with our top team placing in the top 10%
Great article discussing what the area Centers of Academic Excellence are doing to meet workforce demand. Does a great job of introducing our new Intelligence Systems Lab.
One of the greatest hindrances to mitigating cybercrime is the lack of qualified and skilled professionals trained in cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity is a rising career field with a need for more security professionals in all industries and types of organizations. One of the greatest hindrances to mitigating cybercrime is the lack of qualified and skilled professionals trained in cybersecurity. Companies are looking to fill these roles. And there are numerous people interested in entering the field. There are three categories of people interested in joining the fight:
All three begin with the question: where do I start my learning about cybersecurity?
If you’re wondering where to start in cybersecurity, start with CompTIA Security+. Out of the many security certs out there, it’s the easiest route to get certified and learn more about the technologies and business of cybersecurity.
The CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 exam is an internationally recognized validation of foundation-level security skills and knowledge and is used by organizations and security professionals around the globe. This certification proves an IT security professional’s competency in topics such as threats, vulnerabilities, and attacks, system security, network infrastructure, access control, cryptography, risk management, and organizational security.
Courses such as the Cybrary Cybrary Security+ video series covers these topics to prepare students for the CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 certification exam. The fundamentals taught in this class will help you get started in a career as a cybersecurity analyst and build your security knowledge base.
For those entering or even moving around the career, you should understand the many job roles available and find the one that best fits you. The Cyber Seek website (https://www.cyberseek.org/pathway.html) contains a list of careers. It provides an interactive career pathway of key jobs within cybersecurity, common transition opportunities between them, and detailed information about the salaries, credentials, and skillsets associated with each role.
With CompTIA Security+ or any certification, note that the journey is more important than the destination. The goal is not simply gaining a certification and letters after your name, but understanding all aspects of a complex and wide career field. Studying for a certification is often the start of your learning about cybersecurity. It expands your mind and helps you see the entire playing field required of cybersecurity analysts. It also lets you know about your strengths and weaknesses, since it’s near impossible to know everything about all areas of cybersecurity. For example, if you enjoy the technical aspects, then you should look at being a security administrator, pen tester, or forensics analyst. If business is more your forte, you should focus on policy, governance, compliance and risk. The certification journey helps you determine your focus areas so you can have maximum effectiveness, no matter your career choice.
Certifications establish your credibility in the industry and open doors for jobs.
Certifications establish your credibility in the industry and open doors for jobs. It’s often the first thing requested in job descriptions. Certifications show you have knowledge in a specific area or indicates that you have the subject matter expertise and that you’ve taken the effort to obtain and maintain it.
If you’re starting your cybersecurity journey, look to the CompTIA Security+ as the place to jumpstart your career and gain critical knowledge in protecting your personal life, your organization and ultimately everyone.
For more information about Cybersecurity careers, see my previous Peerlyst blogs:
I’d love to hear from you about your experiences with cybersecurity certifications as part of your career journey.