Military Connection: Cyber Security Education for Reservists

Cyber threats have become an increasing problem in both the civilian and military sectors. While many private companies are funneling huge amounts of money and resources into hiring and training cyber security professionals, the military still lacks the number of cyber security professionals necessary to keep ahead of cyber attackers.

However, there are plans in the works for components within the U.S. military to team up with universities to train service members to defend against cyber attacks. So far, six universities are on board with this program that partners with the U.S. Army Reserve to create a center for enhanced security training. The program is called the U.S. Army Reserve Public Private Partnership Initiative, or Cyber P3i.

The Cyber P3i program is designed to give Army reservists the opportunity to receive ongoing education in cyber security, through undergraduate, graduate and certificate training. The military and school leaders connected to the program hope that, through Cyber P3i, members of the Army Reserve can prepare for positions within the military, elsewhere in the government, and in the private sector.

The six schools that have joined the Cyber P3i so far are Drexel University, George Mason University, Norwich University, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the University of Washington. The schools were chosen for their prominence in cyber research, as well as their reputations for addressing cyber security issues.

Currently, in these initial stages, there isn’t any set funding for the Cyber P3i program. Army Reservists are allowed to attend the affiliated schools through private scholarships set aside for use in the program, and through utilization of the GI Bill. But hopefully, Cyber P3i will catch on, and eventually receive federal funding. Federal funding will not only be used to help offset the costs of tuition, but also to expand the size and quality of cyber labs, as well as additional faculty to facilitate a larger Cyber P3i program.

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