If you look at all of Cal Poly’s most significant achievements of the past year, it’s easy to notice two major factors in common. Many of our most transformative developments have been in collaboration among disciplines, and all of them have occurred through the support of our partners off campus.
Perhaps no achievement illustrates these factors more clearly than the birth and rapid growth of the new cybersecurity initiative.
Spearheaded by the College of Engineering, this initiative aims to prepare Cal Poly students for one of the future’s most critical industries. Last year’s major headlines highlight the fact that protecting communication networks is more than a promising job field – it is a matter of economic and national security. And every component of the initiative – including hardware and software, facilities, and curriculum development – has been made possible with the support of industry leaders in technology.
The program received a major boost with the establishment of the Cal Poly – Northrop Grumman Cyber Lab, a groundbreaking facility that lets students work on real-world security issues. The lab is linked through a virtual workspace with experts at a leading global security company. The lab opened for its first classes in January 2014, and Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush attended the dedication ceremony.
Raytheon, Parsons, Boeing, PG&E, Good Technology, QL+ and McAfee have all contributed to the initiative with gifts and grants, technology and participation in Cal Poly’s Cybersecurity Council. McAfee, for example, helped develop curriculum and sent its experts to co-teach anti-hacking courses.
Parsons, meanwhile, helped establish and supports the Parsons Visiting Cybersecurity Center Director, a position responsible for leading Cal Poly’s cyber initiative into a nationally prominent center that includes educational, research, outreach and partnering activities. Bill Britton, Parsons’ vice president for cyber strategy, will serve in the position for the next two years.
Perhaps no achievement illustrates these factors more clearly than the birth and rapid growth of the new cybersecurity initiative.
Spearheaded by the College of Engineering, this initiative aims to prepare Cal Poly students for one of the future’s most critical industries. Last year’s major headlines highlight the fact that protecting communication networks is more than a promising job field – it is a matter of economic and national security. And every component of the initiative – including hardware and software, facilities, and curriculum development – has been made possible with the support of industry leaders in technology.
The program received a major boost with the establishment of the Cal Poly – Northrop Grumman Cyber Lab, a groundbreaking facility that lets students work on real-world security issues. The lab is linked through a virtual workspace with experts at a leading global security company. The lab opened for its first classes in January 2014, and Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush attended the dedication ceremony.
Raytheon, Parsons, Boeing, PG&E, Good Technology, QL+ and McAfee have all contributed to the initiative with gifts and grants, technology and participation in Cal Poly’s Cybersecurity Council. McAfee, for example, helped develop curriculum and sent its experts to co-teach anti-hacking courses.
Parsons, meanwhile, helped establish and supports the Parsons Visiting Cybersecurity Center Director, a position responsible for leading Cal Poly’s cyber initiative into a nationally prominent center that includes educational, research, outreach and partnering activities. Bill Britton, Parsons’ vice president for cyber strategy, will serve in the position for the next two years.
