Savannah Technical College to offer new Cybersecurity Degree
SAVANNAH, GA – Students will be able to train for a career in cybersecurity by earning a new Cybersecurity degree at Savannah Technical College beginning January 2020. The College has hired Scott C. Scheidt to lead the new Cybersecurity program. Scheidt has more than 27 years of experience in business and military communities related to intelligence and cyber operations retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Georgia Army National Guard Cyber Mission Forces in 2019. He was most recently the Executive Director of the Center of Applied Cyber Education at Georgia Southern University (GSU) where he also taught courses in Computer Concepts and Application as well as Cyber Warfare.
The Cybersecurity associate of applied science degree program is a sequence of courses designed to provide students with an understanding of the concepts, principles, and techniques required in computer information processing. The associate of applied science degree has 60 total credit hours and may be completed in two years. The degree includes 15 hours of general education core requirements in language arts/communication, social/behavioral sciences, natural sciences/mathematics and humanities/fine arts that transfer to any University System of Georgia (UGS) institution.
The program also includes 45 credit hours of computer science/cybersecurity courses. Graduates will be competent in the technical areas of computer terminology and concepts, security policy design and development and cyber defense methodologies. New courses in this program include: Implementing Operating Systems Security, Network Defense and Countermeasures, Network Security, Computer Forensics, and Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing. Program graduates are qualified for employment as Cybersecurity Specialists, Exploitation Analysts, or Information Security Analysts among other possibilities. For a complete list of courses in the program visit: www.savannahtech.edu/Cybersecurity.
Information security analysts plan and carry out security measures to protect an organization’s computer networks and systems. Their responsibilities are continually expanding as the number of cyberattacks increases. IT security analysts are heavily involved with creating their organization’s disaster recovery plan, a procedure that IT employees follow in case of emergency. These plans allow for the continued operation of an organization’s IT department. The recovery plan includes preventative measures such as regularly copying and transferring data to an offsite location. It also involves plans to restore proper IT functioning after a disaster. Analysts continually test the steps in their recovery plans.
Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 28 percent through 2026. Demand for information security analysts is expected to be very high, as these analysts will be needed to create innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or causing problems for computer networks.
Scheidt has completed graduate level cybersecurity technology training through a Master of Science program with the University of Maryland Global Campus, an MBA from Touro University International, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from GSU. His military training relevant to this new position includes Port Operations and Security Manager through the Merchant Marine Academy, Army Cyber Operations Planner, Information Operations and Electronic Warfare Planner, and Space Cadre qualification which focused on integrating the use of enablement systems such as UAS’s and satellite capabilities to deliver cyberspace based effects. Scheidt’s intelligence and cyber operations experience includes: senior instructor and curriculum manager for threat doctrine operations at Fort Stewart; senior intelligence analyst/consultant and senior operations integrator for Infinity Systems Engineering, Inc. in Iraq; senior intelligence analyst for Imagery and Intelligence Solutions, Inc.; intelligence analysis/shift team lead for L3 Communications in Baghdad, Iraq. His most recent professional military experience includes: Branch Chief for IT Services and Support for Join Forces Headquarters in Georgia at the Clay National Guard Center; Chief, Defensive Cyberspace Operations Element attached to the 170th Cyber Protection Team of the Georgia Army National Guard; Commander of the Georgia Garrison Training Center at Fort Stewart along with 20 years of military service with duties related to all-source intelligence and cyber operation leadership.
Instruction will be delivered at the Savannah Campus (5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah, GA 31406). For information about STC’s Cybersecurity degree and cyber-related programs, please contact Academic Advisor Amber Robinson at 912.443.5719 or arobinson@savannahtech.edu.
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#2014 | October 24, 2019
STC Cybersecurity Academic Advisor: Amber Robinson
912.443.5719 or arobinson@savannahtech.edu
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu
A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of nearly 150 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 13,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.
Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.