SAIC Selects NYU-Poly To Help Build Cyber Security Powerhouse, Delivering Master’s Degrees to More Than 600 Top Employees
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE:SAI), a FORTUNE 500 scientific, engineering and technology applications company, has plans to put over 600 employees through master’s degrees program in cyber security over the next decade.
The Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) made the announcement today, saying it signed an agreement with SAIC to run the educational program and that the first 20 employees in the program will start later this month.
The program will commence with traditional classroom instruction by NYU-Poly faculty members at SAIC’s headquarters in McLean, Va., and continue over 30 months with online classes delivered through the school’s e-learning unit, NYU-ePoly.
“Every form of information technology-from the power grid to defense-requires strong digital protection,” said SAIC Vice President and Cyber Security Program Director Robert Giesler. “Many of the services and solutions we provide to government and commercial customers depend on highly talented people. To be at the forefront, we will help empower the next generation of skilled cyber security experts.”
In the United States today there are an estimated 1,000 highly qualified personnel with specialized degrees in cyber security. According to a national security expert, the nation needs 10,000 to 30,000.
“SAIC employees will perform lab assignments remotely on the school’s Remote Virtual Security Laboratory,” said NYU-Poly Cyber Security Program Director Nasir Memon. “Known as VITAL, it is the nation’s only university-based virtual cyber-security lab and is at the core of many of the courses to be delivered to company personnel.”
NYU-Poly was one of the earliest schools to introduce a cyber security program, receiving National Security Agency (NSA) approval nearly a decade ago. SAIC selected NYU-Poly for the program following a search in which 20 other top-ranked schools competed.