A joint agreement between Iowa State University and Des Moines Area Community College will try to boost the number of people working in cyber security. It’s estimated 300-thousand cyber security jobs nationwide are unfilled, as the projected damage caused by cyber-attacks is six-trillion dollars by 2021. I-S-U computer engineering professor Doug Jacobson will lead what’s known as the Iowa Cyber Hub.

 

A Des Moines-based cyber security firm, Integrity, is one of the companies the two schools turned to for advice in establishing the Cyber Hub. Integrity president David Nelson Junior sees firsthand the growing need for workers in his industry.

 

As part of the initiative, DMACC (DEE-mack) will create a cyber-security career academy for high school students. The school will also start a degree in cyber security whose credits can transfer to an I-S-U bachelor’s degree in the discipline.