Cybersecurity Risk Management

Academic Foreword

As a professor who has developed cybersecurity education programs for industry, academia, and the government, I know first-hand how difficult it can be for even advanced IT professionals to grasp the complex concepts in cybersecurity. In my role as Executive Director of the Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity at the University of Washington in Seattle, among other positions I hold, I have seen even the best and brightest of the nation’s high-tech sector struggle when it comes to this still-new discipline. The difficulty is compounded by the varied missions that public, private, and academic organizations pursue.

My center at the University of Washington is a Center of Academic Excellence in both Cybersecurity Education and Research, so designated by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. This honor means that we are well placed to help bridge the cybersecurity communications gaps that exist across crucial sectors of society: government, industry, and academia.

At the University of Washington, we take a pragmatic approach to equipping our students with the skills they need to enter the cybersecurity workforce. We emphasize critical thinking along with information management and technical skills so that we graduate ‘breach-ready’ students. Since there is no system that is 100% secure, we ingrain in our students the importance of having risk management tools in their toolkit, so they are equipped to make rational choices ...