Master’s launched in security technology

Twenty percent of youths aged 10-17 are sexually solicited over the Internet each year. One-third of college students are victimized by more than one type of cybercrime each year—and one in four know the offender.
Sam McQuade and RIT’s Center for Multidisciplinary Studies have decided that it’s time to arm society with the education necessary to combat these threats.

Wiley McKinzie, dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology, announced three RIT security technology education initiatives June 8, highlighted by the development of a master of science degree in security technology—an effort that McQuade will spearhead.

“This new degree, in an era of worldwide concern over terrorism and its prevention, is incredibly important to public and private sector organizations and employment sectors in many nations, including those throughout the United States,” says McKinzie.

The initiatives were announced at a reception following the conference, “Keeping Children Safe: In a Changing Online World,” that was co-hosted by RIT and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Initial plans call for the degree to consist of 48 credits in a wide range of subjects, such as security devices, systems and applications, homeland security and critical infrastructure protection and threat assessment analysis and risk mitigation.

McKinzie also announced the establishment of a regional center, within the Center for Multidisciplinary Studies, which will assist high schools and community colleges in the development of security technology education and training materials.

The third initiative is a partnership with several Greater Rochester area school districts to complete a kindergarten-12th grade information security and cyber ethics education research, development and evaluation project.

“These initiatives are exciting,” says Ed Suk, executive director for The Center For Missing & Exploited Children’s New York branch. “We need to train kids on how to safely navigate the information superhighway, and what the dangers are out there. We’re not doing that right now.”

McQuade, the graduate program coordinator in the Center for Multidisciplinary Studies, stresses that educating the educators—a central goal of all three initiatives—is essential to tackling these threats.