UNG continues growth as cybersecurity leader

The University of North Georgia's (UNG) clout as a cybersecurity education leader can be highlighted by a string of recent accolades and developments.

These efforts are crucial due to the more than 464,000 cyber jobs open nationwide, 17,000 of them in Georgia. As of fall 2021, three years after the cybersecurity bachelor's degree was first offered, 390 students are enrolled in the program.

"It's amazing how much demand there is in industry and how many students are interested," Dr. Bryson Payne, '97 & '99, professor of cybersecurity, said.

UNG launched the Institute for Cyber Operations thanks to a budget commitment of more than $4 million in a three-year span from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

Retired Col. Christopher Mitchiner, '91, executive director of the institute, is growing UNG's connections to the cybersecurity industry and providing students professional development opportunities. The institute, a university-wide initiative based in the Mike Cottrell College of Business, is also funding cyber certifications for students.

"That sets our students apart," Payne said. "They can earn an industry certification while they're still a student."

Other recent developments have shown UNG's cyber leadership, as well.

• UNG is spearheading the CyberStart America in Georgia effort, which started Oct. 27 and runs through April 27. The program features a free, learn-as-you-go, online game designed to help high school students explore cybersecurity and compete for college scholarships in cyber studies. More than 3,330 Georgia students from 190 schools are participating this year, an increase of more than 2,450 students and 107 schools from the 2020-21 event, and students can win prize money. Districts still have a chance to earn money to support cyber education if they get more students signed up by Dec. 31. Caitlin Conneely serves as the cyber program officer championing the initiative, and Dr. Lindsay Linsky from the College of Education has played a critical role in the success of the program.
• In summer 2022, UNG will host its sixth GenCyber Warrior Academy for high school students and second cyber academy for middle and high school teachers thanks to National Security Agency (NSA) grants totaling $265,000. Due to the program's new format, students and teachers will further lock in their learning as pre- and post-camp activities will provide them with 10 months of training starting in January 2022.
• UNG has one DOD Cyber Scholarship recipient for 2021-22, giving it a total of nine such scholarships received by UNG students in a four-year span.
• Payne will serve as one of the coaches and student Taylor Hitt is one of 25 team members for the first U.S. Cyber Team set to compete in Greece in June 2022.

Additionally, Payne has received a major award from a company that specializes in cybersecurity education and certifications. Payne is the lone recipient of the 2021 Academic Instructor of the Year honor from the EC-Council.

The award is based on a combination of student feedback, EC-Council evaluations, promoting growth opportunities for students and faculty, and maintaining cybersecurity certifications. In fall 2019, Payne earned the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) in Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM). Only 4,360 cyber professionals in the world hold this certification. He also holds the GIAC Certified Penetration Tester certification, and about 9,000 professionals have it.

Payne is the coordinator of student cybersecurity programs and coaches UNG's CyberHawks team that has scored a pair of NSA Codebreaker Challenge victories. The group has also made strong showings at competitions like the NSA Cyber Exercise and Cyber FastTrack.