Cybersecurity


  • Health, Public Safety & Human Services

Cybersecurity is the first line of defense against the threats to an organization's network, programs and data. It is designed to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of data. Cybersecurity remains to be one of the most critical issues affecting individuals and organizations today.

What Will I Learn?

A degree in cybersecurity prepares students with skills to monitor, mitigate and prevent online threats. Students will learn the fundamentals of information security, networking, server fundamentals, operating systems such as Microsoft and Linux, programming skills, computer forensics, ethical hacking and analyzing network traffic.

What is Unique About JJC's Cybersecurity Program? 

This program gives students a good core foundation in cybersecurity, a field with immense career growth potential. The program provides extracurricular activities such as JJC Cyber Wolves Cybersecurity club and participating in the National Cyber League (NCL) competition.  The NCL competition provides a virtual training environment for college students to develop, practice and validate their cybersecurity skills. Through NCL, JJC students get experience in areas such as:

•    Open-source intelligence
•    Cryptography
•    Password cracking
•    Log analysis
•    Network traffic analysis
•    Scanning & Reconnaissance
•    Forensics 
•    Web application exploitation
•    Enumeration 

JJC students participated in the NCL Spring 2024 competition. JJC's Spring 2024 power rankings were 20th nationally from more than 500 colleges/universities, sixth in the central region and third in Illinois. Schools are ranked based on their top team performance, their top student's individual performance, and the combined individual performance of their students.

Did You Know...
JJC's cybersecurity program has a partnership with Lewis University, making it easier than ever for you to transfer! Take three years of coursework at JJC and one year of coursework at Lewis to earn your bachelor's degree. Take a look at our transfer guide below.

Transfer Guide to Lewis University

What Degree/Certificate Will I Receive?

Degree

Certificates

What are my Career Opportunities?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations.

  • Security administrator
  • Information security analyst
  • Information assurance technician/specialist
  • Network security engineer
  • Information technology security analyst
  • Information systems security administrator

Cybersecurity Program Recommended Technology

The program does not require students to bring a laptop to class, but they may. A computer will be useful outside of the classroom to complete assignments or to gain more exposure to the topics taught.

  • Computer Desktop or Laptop System Specification Recommendations for Cybersecurity Students

    The following are minimum specifications for the desktop/laptop computer a student should purchase. The brand, model, shape, size and color are up to the student to decide. Carefully consider service and support options as desktop/laptop maintenance is the student's responsibility. A Microsoft Windows-based system is highly recommended. A large percentage of cybersecurity applications require the Windows operating system. These applications will not run natively on macOS. Chromebooks do not meet the operating system and hardware requirements to run the Cybersecurity program applications.

    Below is a list of vendors that provides discounts for students:

     

    Operating system specifications
    DescriptionRecommendedMinimum Requirements
    Operating SystemWindows 10 or 11 Pro 64-bitWindows 10 or 11 Home 64-bit
    Processor Type64-bit Intel Core i5 or i7 or AMD Ryzen equivalent64-bit Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen equivalent
    Memory (RAM)16 GB8 GB - 12 GB
    Hard Drive1 TB SSD515 GB SSD
    USBAt least 2 USB portsAt least 2 USB ports
    NetworksWired and WiFiWiFi only

 

 

Student Testimonial

“If you are interested in a career in cybersecurity and looking for a university-type program at the community college level, then this is the best program for you! Here in the program, I developed skills in security fundamentals, digital forensics, ethical hacking, and cyber defense that were necessary to jump-start my new career path. I have been fortunate enough to land my first Cyber Security job at a Fortune 100 company prior to graduation, with major credit coming from the program's Cyber Wolves Club and my participation in the club's capture-the-flag competitions at the seasonal National Cyber League. Professor Stan and his amazing staff of insightful instructors will assist you throughout your tenure here. You will not regret enrolling in this JJC Cybersecurity program. Let's go JJC Cyber Wolves! ”

- Emmanuel Pola, JJC Fall 2022 Graduate
Cybersecurity, AAS | Cyber Ops, Certificate | Network Security, Certificate