Students in Central Technology Center 's Cyber Security program are set to enter one of the top three fields for employment in the state as well as the nation. Additionally, they will stand in the national spotlight of available highly trained Information Assurance and Forensics technicians, thanks to a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The funds will assist Central Tech in upgrading present equipment, materials and supplies, as well as expanding the scope of equipment available to students enrolled in Cyber Security. The grant will also provide funds for the Central Tech instructor to travel and assist in the training of other instructors at participating institutions in a region that includes Oklahoma and six surrounding states.

"This National Science Foundation grant recognizes the quality of our program at Central Tech and brings national recognition to our school and the other consortium partners across the state. Oklahoma is now a national model and regional center for cyber security and forensics technology. We are honored," said assistant superintendent Judy Robinson.

Central Tech's Cyber Security Program, and its sister programs in Network Administration and Telecommunications, are members of the Oklahoma Center for Information Assurance and Forensics Education Consortium (OCIAFE) that also includes the Oklahoma CareerTech system.

Other OCIAFE members include Moore-Norman Technology Center ; Francis Tuttle Technology Center ; OSU-Okmulgee; The University of Tulsa; Tulsa Community College ; Okla. City Community College and Rose State College.

The curriculum for the Cyber Security program reads like a page out of a CSI television program script as students learn the technology for biometric mouse-read fingerprints, iris-identification software, computer firewalls, email security and retrieval of data from computer hard drives.

Instructor Clint Webb says Information Assurance is "securing the confidentiality, integrity, authentication and availability of information transmitted over telecommunications networks. Digital Forensics deals with any evidence that could be important in a crime scene. Cells phones, personal digital assistants, pagers, as well as computers are included in the realm of digital forensics. The technicians trained in this field are skilled at locating and retrieving any evidence that might be useful for the criminal justice system."

With assistance from the University of Tulsa, which serves as the principal training entity and mentor to the two-year institutions, the consortium has instituted degree and certificate programs in cyber security, Cisco, Microsoft, CompTIA and Certified Security Professionals.

"Employment opportunities for those trained by Mr. Webb and the instructors in the other consortium schools are excellent. Business and industry managers are looking for cyber security technicians as well as individuals with higher education degrees in this field. Hospitals, banks, law enforcement agencies and scores of other businesses dealing with sensitive personal and business information are anxious for us to provide them with people with these critical skills and knowledge," said Robinson.

The OCIAFE programs not only cover the technical, operational and managerial dimensions, but also the related legal and ethical issues. Webb notes that his curriculum has a strong agenda for professionalism and ethics. "We wish to produce professional security personnel and trained technicians that are committed to high ethical standards."