Collin College's Cybersecurity Department

 

 

The Cybersecurity Department is pleased to announce that over 160 students have graduated with the BAT degree since 2022! BAT graduates are presented with a Coin to commemorate their accomplishment in Collin College's program.   Fall 2023 BAT Coin Ceremony participants

Secure your future in Cybersecurity, one of the fastest growing, high-paid career fields.    Are you ready? Prepare yourself to be an offensive and defensive player to protect the cyber world. For a live look at how fast paced this field can be, click on this cyber attack map. Blue team, defensive, will learn an implement way to defend company systems from attacks with monitoring and reacting to incidents. Red team, offensive, will attack company systems to find vulnerabilities before the malicious actors hack into it first.  Purple team, works as both offensive and defensive elements within an organization.   Entry-level Career Opportunities in Cybersecurity:   The following positions represent potential entry points in the cybersecurity field:   Security Analyst Incident Analyst/Responder (Entry Level) Penetration & Vulnerability Tester (Entry Level)   Mid to Senior-level Career Opportunities in Cybersecurity:   Career advancement opportunities within the cybersecurity domain include, but are not limited to, the following roles:   Security Architect Security Engineer Security Administrator To explore other cybersecurity fields please the career information page.

 

 

 

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National Center of Academic Excellence
The National Security Agency (NSA) designated Collin College as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education for its Associate of Applied Sciences Cybersecurity program. The Bachelor in Applied Technology is currently pending review as it is a newer degree to the college.

 

Click the seal to learn more about CAE and their events, community, and resources.

 

National Cyber League Fall 2024 Competition 

 

Students from the Cybersecurity program competed in the National Cyber League Fall 2024 season competition, placing 29th out of 532 competing teams. That put the team in the top 5% ahead of schools, including Saint Louis University and the University of Georgia. Diego Trujano, John Edwards, and Sadia Chaudry earned the Diamond Rank by placing in the top 10% of competitors in individual competition, Oct. 25-27. The team competition was Nov. 8-10. Professor Rajin Koonjbearry coached the team. Interested students can participate individually or as a team, check competition dates here: https://national-cyber-league.super.site/players.  

 

Frisco Community Impact Publication: Cybersecurity Program Enrollment 

 

Director Damien Smith believes this program is for everyone! Enrollment has risen 15% in one year. Graduation numbers topped 1,000 for degrees and certificates in the cybersecurity program in the last academic year. 
Read more about the program here: Community Impact October 2024.

 

 

 

 

The Hamza Sisters: Finding Their Calling Cybersecurity at Collin College!

 

Zahraa Hamza, Baneen Hamza, and Hawraa Hamza – three sisters who did not plan on becoming cybersecurity defenders – found their paths redirected by Collin College's Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity program. Read more here.

 

BAT Graduate Highlight Fall 2023- and Spring 2024 Update! 

 

 

                                              

We are proud of Collin College's Cybersecurity program's father and son duo- Jody and Scott Cantello! They will graduate with the Bachelor in Applied Technology December 2023 and continue to do great things in the careers as they are both working in industry while balancing full time course loads, full time jobs, and the journey of life. From left to right- Dr. Lee Powell (Dean of Academic Affairs and Workforce Programs), Damien Smith (Director of Cybersecurity), Scott Cantello, Jody Cantello, and Dr. Diana Hopes (Provost of Frisco and Celina Campuses). 

*Update: Both father and son are enrolled at WGU in a Master's program for cybersecurity. 

 

Collin College's students entered the 5th Annual ISACA North Texas 2022 Collegiate Case Competition. They won first place!   

 

 

 

A team of five Collin College Cybersecurity students won first place at the 2022 Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) North Texas Case Competition, beating out teams from multiple North Texas universities in their first year of the competition. The Collin College team included students Miles McCready, Khagendra Pokharel, Nghi Nguyen, Matthew Daley, and Mariah Hunt, who brought home a sizable trophy and received a $7,500 scholarship. Read more here about our amazing students.

 

Our Community Partners 

 

Collin College has received $35,000 for scholarships from North Texas ISSA January of 2023 to fund scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year. We are grateful for the support and the impact they make on the future of cybersecurity and our students lives.  

  

 

 

Please consider joining Handshake, a job search platform for college students. Also, many employer events are available for registration through Handshake. You can learn more about Handshake by watching this video.