FAYETTEVILLE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE
RESEARCH NORTH CAROLINA
RESEARCH
NORTH CAROLINA
THE CAROLINA CYBER NETWORK: A Holistic Cybersecurity Workforce Initiative by Dr. Mark Sorrells senior vice president for academics Fayetteville Technical Community College
Cybersecurity has been defined as the “forever war”. Cybersecurity and cyberwarfare represent a dangerous new theater of conflict that is asymmetrical in nature, attacks military and civilian targets, and has very low barriers to entry for both state-based and non-state-based bad actors to exploit. Cyberspace has invaded all areas of our lives, changing the way we work, live, and play. The recent attacks on Colonial Pipelines, Solar Winds and the agencies whose mission is to protect our national security interests are some examples of the growing threats and challenges we face. To help the State of North Carolina tackle this growing challenge, Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) and the Carolina Cyber Center of Montreat College, both designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education by the National Security Agency, are teaming up
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to initiate the Carolina Cyber Network (CCN). The CCN is a comprehensive workforce development initiative consisting of 2- and 4-year colleges and universities working together to create a coordinated effort to meet the talent needs of North Carolina’s public agencies and private businesses. In addition to FTCC and Montreat College, the network includes Blue Ridge, Catawba Valley, Forsyth Tech, Gaston, Richmond, Stanley, and Wayne Community Colleges along with NCA&T University and Elizabeth City State University. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, cybersecurity employment is expected to increase by 18 percent from 2014 to 2024 and has grown three times the rate of IT jobs nationally. Fort Bragg, the largest military installation in the world by population (located less than 10 miles from FTCC), has a significant cybersecurity operation. Fort Bragg
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6/18/21 3:57 PM