Cybersecurity Center Promotes Awareness of Emerging Threat

The Cybersecurity Center at Kean University is dedicated to preparing the next generation of cyber leaders through its conferences, seminars and trainings. The center provides industry professionals, government agencies, academics and students with vital skills, equipping individuals and communities with the awareness, preparedness and resiliency needed to successfully manage cybersecurity breaches and threats.

“Cybersecurity at Kean is a new initiative, led by our most capable people,” said Kean University College of Business Dean Michael Cooper, Ph.D. “It was the idea of Dr. Dawood Farahi to build a center focused on teaching and behavioral change.”   

Over 150 local business owners and IT professionals attended the Cybersecurity Center at Kean University’s Ransomware Symposium on Monday, June 20. The symposium, the center’s inaugural event, was co-sponsored by the Union County Small Business Development Corporation at Kean University. Speakers included representatives from the FBI and the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. New Jersey Assemblyman Jon M. Bramnick delivered the symposium’s keynote address.

The center is a multidisciplinary operation that focuses on three critical areas: scholarship and research, legal and industry related policy analysis, and eLearning content development. The center draws on experts from academia, government and industry to provide cybersecurity education, training and prevention strategies designed to meet the needs of a diverse audience.

James. J. Drylie, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the Cybersecurity Center at Kean University. Drylie has an extensive background in law enforcement and emergency management that includes a 25-year career in policing. Drylie was recently selected as a Fulbright Scholar and is currently abroad, conducting research on the use of force by police within the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service.

“Cybersecurity does not occur in a vacuum,” said Drylie. “Successfully protecting cyber infrastructure at all levels is inextricably linked to the human element, and the key to ensuring success begins with behavioral change.” 

The Cybersecurity Center at Kean University is poised to be an agent of such change. The center trains students and professionals to prevent, respond to and recover from cyber threats and cybercrime by providing a comprehensive educational environment that includes traditional classroom based courses, a cyber laboratory and eLearning via a secure server. The center’s curriculum is designed to help individuals identify emerging trends, leverage best practices and implement innovative solutions designed to meet the challenges of an ever changing digital landscape.