SUU Cybersecurity Essentials Program

Certificate in Cybersecurity Essentials

Strengthen your cybersecurity and invest in your people.

Why You Need a Cybersecurity Specialist

• 10% of breached small businesses shut down in 2019.
• Ransomware is the No. 1 threat to small businesses with 1 in 5 falling victim.
• 32% of MSPs report Construction and Manufacturing as most targeted by ransomware.
• From Q2 of 2019 to Q3 of 2019, the average ransomware payment increased 13% to $41,198.
• The average cost of a data breach is $3.92 million as of 2019.

Many small to mid-sized companies are vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks because they don’t have an in-house cybersecurity specialist.

Cybersecurity specialists are different than IT or tech support; they are specifically trained to identify vulnerabilities in software, hardware, networks, and data centers. They are dedicated to developing strategies and defenses to prevent and respond to cyber-attacks while continually monitoring and investigating threats to your company’s valuable data.

Cybersecurity Essentials Certificate

The Southern Utah University (SUU) Cybersecurity Essentials Program is a 1-year, online apprenticeship. A cybersecurity mentor guides participants as they work through 9 credits of coursework on their own schedule and at their own pace.

Participants who complete the program will earn a Cybersecurity Essentials Certificate demonstrating their real-world competency in cybersecurity best practices.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program apprentices will apply security principles and practices to maintain operations in the presence of risks and threats.

Cybersecurity Curriculum (9 Credits)

Core Requirements (6 credits)

• IS 2670 - Fundamentals of Security (3 credits)
• IS 3640 - Network and Cloud Security (3 credits)

Elective Requirements (3 credits)

Select a class from the following options:

• CSIS 3700 - Introduction to Digital Forensics (3 credits)
• IS 3650 - Defensive Security (3 credits)
• IS 3680 - Offensive Security and Ethical Hacking (3 credits)

Applicants who are accepted into the program must apply to SUU in order to participate. All courses must be passed with a “C” (2.0) or better to earn the certificate and the program must be completed within 1 academic year.

This workforce program is funded 70%($3,977,088) by a grant awarded by the US Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration; and 30%($1,789,690) from non-federal entity resources.