2024-2025 Course Catalog and Student Handbook 
    
    May 19, 2024  
2024-2025 Course Catalog and Student Handbook

Cybersecurity Certificate Program Fact Sheet


What is the Cyber Security Certificate? Cyber Security is a career that has the responsibility to protect the Information assets of the entity that employs them. Cyber Technicians perform different functions in this effort. These functions include detecting and preventing cyber-attacks, monitoring network activity to prevent internal attacks, encryption techniques, disaster and incident recovery, auditing, and system testing.

The Cyber Security certificate is designed to provide students with an understanding of the concepts, principles and techniques required in the field of computer information systems. Program graduates receive a cybersecurity certificate. Technical courses  apply to the degree or diploma program in cybersecurity.
Semester Program Begins Fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Application Process Applicants to the Computer Programming program must meet all Admission requirements; complete an application and pay the application fee. Individuals apply to Gwinnett Technical College at GwinnettTech.edu and submit all transcripts from high school and previous college work, and take the ACCUPLACER test, if required.
Students applying for this program must be accepted into the Networking or Cybersecurity degree or diploma program.
Program Prerequisites and Courses Diploma level proficiency in English, reading, and math. Some courses may have additional prerequisites which are not included in the program curriculum. For specific prerequisites please refer to the course descriptions in the online catalog.
CIST 1001  *
CIST 1401  *
*These courses should be taken in the first semester.
Program Deadlines You may enter in the fall, spring, or summer semesters.
Program Costs and Requirements Tuition and books.
For more information, contact: Albena Asenova Belal, program director, ABelal@GwinnettTech.edu , 678.226.6671.
For admission and enrollment, contact: Enrollment Support Center in Building 100 at the Lawrenceville campus, or Building A at the Alpharetta-North Fulton campus, or email CISTeam@GwinnettTech.edu.

Quick Facts

2022 Median pay           $112,000 per year/ $53.85 per hour
Entry level education           Associate degree
Number of jobs, 2022           168,900
Job growth, 2022 - 2032           32% (much faster than average)

Nature of the Work

Monitor their organization’s networks for security breaches and investigate a violation when one occurs. Install and use software, such as firewalls and data encryption programs, to protect sensitive information. Prepare reports that document security breaches and the extent of the damage caused by the breaches. Conduct penetration testing, which in when analysts simulate attacks to look for vulnerabilities in their systems before they can be exploited. Research the latest Information Technology (IT) security trends. Help plan and carry out an organization’s way of handling security. Develop security standards and best practices for their organization. Recommend security enhancements to management or senior IT staff. Help computer users when they need to install or learn about new security products and procedures.

Work Environment

Most information security analysts works full time. Information security analysts sometimes have to be on call outside of normal business hours in case of an emergency at their organization. While there are some work from home jobs, most are on-site in an office, Network Operations Center, or Security Operations Center.

Employment

Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 32 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. Demand for information security analysts is expected to be very high. Cyberattacks have grown in frequency, and analysts will be needed to come up with innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or creating problems for computer networks. The Federal government is expected to greatly increase its use of information security analysts to protect the nation’s critical information technology (IT) systems. In addition, as the healthcare industry expands its use of electronic medical records, ensuring patients’ privacy and protecting personal data are becoming more important. More information security analysts are likely to be needed to create the safeguards that will satisfy patients’ concerns. About 16,800 openings for information security analysts are projected each year, on average, over the decade. The increasing adoption of cloud services by small and medium sized businesses that do not have their own dedicated IT departments could increase the employment of information security analysts in those establishments.

Earnings

The median annual wage for information security analysts was $112,000 in May 2022. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $66,010, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $174,540.


Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Information Security Analysts, on the Internet
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm.

Gwinnett Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Lisa Richardson, Title IX, and Section 504 Coordinator, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 100, Room 407, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, 678-226-6691, LRichardson@GwinnettTech.edu.