As part of a federal program, Drexel University is slated to become a training ground for soldiers battling against cyber attacks.
The U.S. Army Reserve yesterday named Drexel and five other universities national cybersecurity training centers for Army reservists. The program, called the U.S. Army Reserve Cyber Public Private Partnership Initiative, or Cyber P3, is a response to the federal government’s massive demand for cybersecurity workers, said Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, Chief of the Army Reserve, in a statement. The program aims to “lessen the skilled soldiers shortage gap,” he said.
Drexel isn’t developing a new program for the partnership. Instead, starting this fall, reservists will take classes alongside students at Drexel’s one-year-old Cybersecurity Institute, said Norman Balchunas, director of strategic solutions at the Institute.
The Institute offers a master’s of science in cybersecurity, and an online bachelor’s of science computing and security technology. Since Drexel already offered these programs, it was “a natural fit” for the university to be part of Cyber P3, Balchunas said.
If successful, the program could expand to the National Guard and soldiers in active duty, he said.
Drexel is not receiving any government funding for the program.
The other schools participating are the University of Washington, George Mason University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, Norwich University and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
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