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UWF Offers Cyber-Security

UWF

This fall, the University of West Florida will be begin offering a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a specialization in Cyber Security. They will also be offering a Masters designed for business people who will be cyber security managers, as well as three cyber security certificates. To learn more about the growth of this specialization, WUWF's Bob Barrett spoke to Dr. Sikha Bagui, Director of the Center for Cyber Security and the Chair for the Department of Computer Science at the University of West Florida.

--On President Obama saying the cyber threat is "one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation: Even though UWF is a regional university, cyber security is a national concern and there is a big push throughout the state of Florida to have these cyber security programs up and running.

--On the evolution of cyber security: This is a field that didn't exist 20 years ago. It is constantly evolving and changing to stay one step ahead of cyber attacks.

--On breaches in cyber security: The most well known was last year's breach at Target.  Recently E-Bay was compromised. With people storing so much information on "the cloud" and putting so much personal information out on Facebook and other social media, the need for security continues to rise.

--On the need for cyber security to be a part of other majors: anyone running a business now will have to deal with the cyber aspect of that business. Business majors and political science and just about any other major will all need to know how to keep information safe in the digital world.

Bob Barrett has been a radio broadcaster since the mid 1970s and has worked at stations from northern New York to south Florida and, oddly, has been able to make a living that way. He began work in public radio in 2001. Over the years he has produced nationally syndicated programs such as The Environment Show and The Health Show for Northeast Public Radio's National Productions.