July 18 , 2005, Fountain City Focus

You've heard a lot about terrorism, but how much do you know about cyberterrorism? If you like working with computers and are interested in preventing cybercrimes, at teh open house at Fountainhead College of Technology on Tuesday, July 12, 2005 prospective students got a chance to see which career path was right for them.

Gerald K. Clevenger, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) recently retired from Oak Ridge, spoke about Identity Theft and Careers in Security. Interactive displays were available to introduce you to the world of technology. Prospective students learned how to speak the language of the Internet. create animations, find out how a radio signal can be turned into light and then be converted back to audio, play an Xbox that's been turned inside out so you can see how it works while you're playing it, learn how "phishing" is used to steal your personal information and see how cybercriminals hide secret messages in photos.

Fountainhead College of Technology is one of only 123 colleges nationwide certified by the National Security Agency and the only college in Tennessee to offer four information assurance certificates approved by the NSA's Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS). This means that in addition to obtaining their Bachelor's degree, graduates of the Network Security & Forensics program will automatically receive the following CNSS certifications: Information Assurance Professional, Designated Approving Authority, System Administration in Information Systems Security, and Information Systems Security Officer.

According to the research firm Computer Economics, Inc., cybercrimes are on the rise. The total damage from cybercriminals in 2004 was up 30% from 2003 for a total of $17.5 billion. Information Assurance & Cybersecurity training prepares students to help law enforcement and government agencies combat cybercrimes including hacking, phishing, web scams, identity theft and crimes against children.

The need for Information Assurance professionals has increased dramatically since September 11, 2001 as people realized that terrorists will exploit any weakness to attack via non-traditional means. One area of weakness is information technology. In October 2001, Governor Tom Ridge, Director of Homeland Security said this about information technology: "Protecting this infrastructure is critically important. Disrupt it, destroy it or shut down these information networks, and you shut down America as we know it, and as we live it, and as we experience it every day."

About Fountainhead College of Technology's (FCT) Center for Information Assurance & Cybersecurity Training (IACT)

Fountainhead College of Technology, formerly Tennessee Institute of Electronics, was founded in 1947 and is committed to using it resources to significantly contribute to efforts to secure the nation's critical infrastructure. In 1999 the college began offering an associate's degree in Information Technology with curriculum developed to include information security training. In 2002 the college began development of a baccalaureate degree in Network Security and Forensics; and in 2003 Fountainhead College of Technology became the first college in the southeast to offer a computer security focused baccalaureate degree. The mission of the IACT center is to develop and maintain a strong information assurance curriculum that adheres to national standards, and to also address the cybersecurity needs of the community by offering training and support for Fountainhead College of Technology students, staff, and faculty; local law enforcement; government agencies; and information technology professionals.

For more information, please visit the official IACT website at: http://www.iawire.org, or contact Tammy Alexander, Program Coordinator at tam@iawire.org.