How does your computer science degree help you with cybersecurity?

For students pursuing a computer science degree, there are a lot of choices when it comes to potential careers. Students may choose to focus on finding a job as a machine learning engineer, software engineer, or enterprise architect. However, computer science degrees provide a great starting point for those interested in cybersecurity. Capitol Tech’s computer science programs provide key fundamentals that help support cybersecurity efforts.

A Variety of Languages

In Capitol Tech’s bachelor of science in computer science, programming courses are offered in C, C++, Java, JavaScript, and Python. Knowledge of these languages are key to supporting cybersecurity in order to find malicious code, identify potential security holes in code, and to defend against hackers using the same language.

For example, JavaScript is used widely with websites – a frequent target for hackers. Knowing JavaScript allows computer scientists to ensure that hackers can’t take control of websites and helps prevent cross-site scripting attempts via web forms.

Modern Techniques

Courses in the computer science degree are continually evaluated to ensure they are covering the latest techniques and technological innovations. These topics include data mining, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and natural language processing. All of these courses can be used for cybersecurity prevention and detection.

Data mining, including predictive modeling, along with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), can help identify attacks before they happen. Combined with natural language processing, which helps identify areas of non-compliance and identify areas of risk, these tools help systems learn what is normal activity and what is not at a rate much faster than a human on their own.

The Choice is Yours

Students studying computer science have technical electives where they can choose an area of focus. This means that Capitol Tech’s information assurance courses can be added to the degree program to supplement cybersecurity knowledge.

The senior design project allows students to take all of the knowledge they have learned and to apply it to a selected design. For computer science students who are interested, they can explore projects that involve cybersecurity initiatives.

Expert Education

In February of 2020, Capitol Technology University received the SC Media Award for Best Cybersecurity Higher Education Program. SC Media, a company dedicated to cybersecurity since 1989, cited Capitol’s numerous cybersecurity degrees, dedication to the employability of students, innovative programs, hands-on teaching methods, and deeply rooted relationships with government entities as some of the reasons the university stood out as the winner.

Capitol Tech offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in many areas surrounding the computer sciences. For more information, email admissions@captech.edu.