NCCU cyber-pros boost important skills in light of major hacks on critical infrastructure

Big and small businesses are now in great need of new cyber-warriors to combat hackers. It's training that more universities now offer in order to meet a booming demand.

It’s a need that has only grown after recent hackers’ attacks on critical national infrastructure as well as sensitive government and business data.

It's caused cybersecurity labs like the one at North Carolina Central University to grow in educational value. "And it’s going to continue to grow as we get the word out that we are here," said Deanne Cranford-Wesley, Ph.D., an educator and director of NCCU’s Cyber Security program.

She says it’s still a young program, but its students are already in high demand. "One of our latest partners is Google and they are looking at our students for cyber-security jobs. Amazon is looking to us for jobs," said Cranford-Wesley.

Right now, she says there are 17,000 open cybersecurity positions in North Carolina. She adds, the field expects a 31% increase in the number of trained professionals needed by 2024.

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Central’s Jasmine Pittman hopes to be one of those cyber-pros. "I was really interested in learning something that was totally out of my comfort zone," she said.

Pittman left the nursing field after starting her family. She learned that working in cybersecurity might offer more family flexibility as well as job security. "So it’s always going to be a job out there for me," she said.

Pittman expects to graduate from the program this December with the training and certification needed to fight cyber-threats.

According to Zip-Recruiter, average salaries in cybersecurity are about $82,000 a year in North Carolina. New York ranks the highest-paying state at about $125,000 a year.