Home / Programs & Courses / Academics / Departments / Cyber Technology

Cyber Technology

Cyber Technology Programs in Howard County

Affordable pathways to enter and succeed in this century's technology-based workforce.

Looking to dig for digital evidence with Cyber Forensics, protect digital assets with Cybersecurity, or maybe design the next bestselling app? Whatever your dreams, we can help you get there from here.

Whether you’re a recent high school graduate or not-so-recent computer science major, a mid-career cyber professional or tech-savvy career-changer, HCC’s Cyber Technology instructional area provides accessible pathways for career entry, skill updates and certifications, and transfer for continued study at a four-year school.

HCC is the right choice for a rigorous and nationally-recognized cyber technology education, and here are some reasons why:

The Cybersecurity A.A. program is designated by NSA and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Defense, and the Cyber Forensics A.A. Program is designated as a National Center of Digital Forensics Academic Excellence by the DoD Cyber Crime Center
Career programs leading to employment and industry skill certifications
Associate degree programs meeting general education core requirements and transfer agreements to four-year programs
State-of-the-art technology and facilities with hands-on lab instruction
Industry partnerships and resources for experiential learning, including opportunities for extracurricular and cyber competitions
Expertise of experienced faculty and practicing professionals
Business and communication skills key to implementing technical solutions

HCC provides multiple program options for cyber technology students to meet their specific end goals, areas of interest, and transfer requirements:

Preparation for Certification Exams

These credit classes will prepare you to sit for specific certification exams. For additional information on HCC credit courses related to CompTIA or Cybersecurity, contact Professor Offenberg at joffenberg@howardcc.edu or Ahn Truong, chair of cyber technology department at atruong@howardcc.edu.

CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) Certification

Certification	Skills Gained	HCC Credit Courses to Prepare
A+ - The CompTIA A+ certification is the starting point for a career in IT. Exams: CompTIA A+ 220-1001 and CompTIA A+ 220-1002	The A+ exams cover installation, configuration and maintenance of PCs, mobile devices, laptops, operating systems and printers	CMSY-105, Managing and Maintaining PCs and Mobile Devices I CMSY-106, Managing and Maintaining PCs and Mobile Devices II
CompTIA Network+ Exam: N10-008	The Network+ exam covers network technologies, installation and configuration, media and topologies, management, and security.	CMSY-158, Fundamentals and Practice for Network+ Certification
CompTIA CySA+ Exam: CS0-002	CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) is an IT workforce certification that applies behavioral analytics to networks and devices to prevent, detect and combat cybersecurity threats through continuous security monitoring.	CMSY-266, Cybersecurity Analysis and IDPS
CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Exam: CLO-002	CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ is for both IT and non-technical professionals who require the essential business acumen needed to make informed cloud service decisions.	CLOS-101, Cloud Fundamentals
CompTIA Security+ Exam: SYO-601	The Security+ exam covers the important foundational principles for securing a network and managing risk. Access control, identity management and cryptography are topics on the exam; selection of appropriate mitigation and deterrent techniques to address network attacks and vulnerabilities are also covered.	CMSY-176, Introduction to Network Security

As a benefit of membership in CompTIA, HCC offers vouchers for the above exams at a discounted price. Purchase at HCC Cashier.

Visit CompTIA for information on certifications.

For information on the IT job market, skills assessment and other valuable information, visit the CompTIA Tech Career Roadmap

Certified Ethical Hacker Certification

Certification	Skills Gained	HCC Credit Courses to Prepare
CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) Exam: EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker 312-50	Validates the knowledge of scanning, testing, hacking and securing computer systems and networks.	CMSY-263, Ethical Hacking and Cyber Defense

Resources for Cyber Students

1. The National CyberWatch Center
2.   NSA opportunities for internships, scholarships and summer programs
3.   National Initiative For Cybersecurity Education (NICE)
4. DoD Cyber Exchange - STIGs
5.   CyberSeek
6.   National Cyber League
7. Join the Cyber Dragons Club! Contact Joel Offenberg in Canvas, or email joffenberg@howardcc.edu
8. Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)
9. Maryland Cybersecurity Asset Map
10. SANS Security Awareness
11. Hack the Box
12. Over the Wire
13.  DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
14.  National Science Foundation (NSF) Cybersecurity
15.  Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MACCDC)
16. Capitol Technology University Cyber Security Program (talk to our Faculty if you'd like to transfer to this program)
17. UMUC Cyber Security Program (talk to our Faculty if you'd like to transfer to this program)
18. Cyber Maryland Conference
19. SiteLock Guide to Breaking into Website Security as a Career
Institutional Security Resources and Awareness

HCC's IT policies include:

Confidentiality of Student Records Policy - 50.05

Student Email Policy - 50.09

Website Policy - 61.11

Proper Use of Information Technology Policy - 61.12

Protection of College Information and Electronic Resources Policy - 61.13

Identity Theft Prevention/Red Flags Program Policy - 61.19

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards Policy - 62.10

Personnel Administration Policy - 63.06

Ethics and Conduct Policy - 63.09

Contingency Planning Policy - 63.14

Tech news and items are posted at:
https://howardcc.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/66/Portal/Home/?ID=f1ed6d16-8c92-47ed-8da7-6c3ae80fc475
Cyber Center and Faculty

Joel Offenberg is a Professor in our department and the Point of Contact for the Cyber Center. He can be reached at joffenberg@howardcc.edu

Ahn Truong is the Chair of the Cyber Department. She can be reached at atruong@howardcc.edu

Additional Faculty involved in the Cyber Center and Cyber Technology Programs include:

Dr. Charles Edwards

Bill Lieberman

Ram Longman

Joel Offenberg

Mark Quinn
External Cyber Security News
Industry Advisory Board

Nyronn Bryant, Information Systems Security Engineer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nyronn-bryant

Dylan Buehler, Security Analyst II

Matt Harvey, Incident Manager

Sean Hasset, Security and Compliance Manager
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-m-hassett
HCC Cyber Technology News
HCC News
In the News
- Take a look inside Howard Community College's new STEM building
- Cyberwire: Exploring Cyber Security Education
- And congratulations to student Stephanie Brice, who was selected from nearly 70 applicants across the United States and Canada to represent their school at Cisco Live this year.
Past Cyber Technology Events

Parsons CTF Event 5/10/19

Spring 2019 National Cyber League Competition: 4/27/19

2019 MCCC Cyber Competition: 4/19/19

Parsons CTF Event 3/22/19

Code-A-Thon With NewWave Foundation 3/16/19

UMBC Cyber Dawgs CTF 3/2/19

Jeffrey Johnson - Lecture on Git Fundamentals 10/3/19

Cyber FastTrack Maryland for Community College Students 9/14/18

Howard Community College Presents "The Next Big App"

Howard Community College Presents “Tipping Point – Equifax Data Breach”

Cyber Technology

CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) Certification

Certified Ethical Hacker Certification

HCC News

In the News