MCC takes lead on cyber security for Missouri

Steven Calicutt (l) from St. Louis Community College
and Jawad Drissi (r) from Cameron University in Oklahoma
are instructors participating in the MOCSEC training.

According to Chancellor Mark James, “Cyber-attack is one of the biggest national security threats facing our nation.” MCC has responded to the cyber-security threat by forming a new Missouri counterpart of a national program called the Cyber Security Education Consortium, or CSEC. James says, “The information in these training components could save businesses millions of dollars and government systems from embarrassing intrusions.” This program will be an invaluable part of the High Risk Attack and Disaster (HRAD) Training Center currently being developed by MCC.

Heading up the MOCSEC training are MCC computer science instructors Ed McCarty (BTC) and Melissa Napper (Blue River). According to McCarty, the federal government wants to promote cyber-security awareness to every American, and MCC is on the cutting edge of that movement.

The goal for MOCSEC is to present eight specific courses which are integral to an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in cyber-security. Graduates of the program could transfer to a number of prestigious area universities like Missouri University and Oklahoma State to complete bachelor’s level degrees in cyber-security. The MOCSEC plan is well underway, having drawn a number of Missouri colleges into

the fold, including the two largest Missouri community colleges, MCC-KC and St. Louis Community College.

Though the first five classes are being taught at MCC-Blue River in “train the trainer” mode, classes like these will be available to students on all MCC campuses. Program leaders McCarty and Napper believe that at least one of these courses, Principals of Information Assurance, is so vital to modern life that it should be strongly suggested or even required for all students. The Principals of Information Assurance course trains students to value the security of their personal information and teaches them how to defend themselves against many unseen and unrealized information technology threats.

52 companies and organizations in our area, including police and fire departments, have already been identified as great candidates to benefit from the level of cyber-security training that will be offered through MOCSEC at Metropolitan Community College.

Classes currently being conducted in “train the trainer” mode include Principals of Information Assurance, Enterprise Security Management, Secure Electronic Commerce, and Network Security. MCC will eventually add classes in Digital Forensics, Supervisory Control and Data Aqcuisition, Mobile Communications, and Secure Coding. With MOCSEC steadily underway, MCC is truly on the cutting edge of cyber-security and well on the way to offering our graduates yet another competitive advantage in the job market along with the peace of mind that cyber-security brings to life.