Battelle funding new Cybersecurity program at CBC

September 17, 2012

• Greg Koller, PNNL, (509) 372-4864
• Frank Murray, CBC, (509) 542-4835

RICHLAND, Wash. – Columbia Basin College is starting a new, comprehensive program in Cybersecurity to include a one-year certificate, two-year associate's degree, and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree program.  The certificate and associate degree programs will start Fall 2012 and the bachelor program is planned for Fall 2013.  Battelle is contributing $118,000 for development and implementation of the first year of the Bachelor of Applied Science program since it will be solely funded through fees, grants, and donations. 

As CBC President Rich Cummins points out, "Government and industry have a growing need for specialized workers that can anticipate, defend, and protect against cyber attacks on data and network systems across the nation.  Although cybersecurity specialists are in high demand nationally, they are in even higher demand in the local region as a result of the advanced technical infrastructure and work performed in our community." 

The program will admit 18 students to its initial class. 

"With cyber attacks on the rise nationally, PNNL and other organizations are in need of well-trained computer security specialists who can assess, detect, and protect data and infrastructure.  The new CBC degree program will help fill that workforce need while at the same time provide a critical service locally and nationally," says Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Director, Mike Kluse.

For more information, visit the Columbia Basin College website.

Tags: Computational Science, National Security, Cyber Security

Battelle is the world's largest independent research and development organization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 22,000 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide. Battelle has managed the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., since the laboratory's inception in 1965.

Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science.  PNNL employs 4,700 staff, has an annual budget of nearly $1 billion, and has been managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by Ohio-based Battelle since the laboratory's inception in 1965.  For more, visit the PNNL's News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.