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V O L . X X I N O. X I X A U G U S T 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 20 is year, USM leveraged its new facility by partnering with other campuses across the University of Maine System to create a baccalaureate degree in cyber- security. It is designed to prepare stu- dents for jobs in the cybersecurity field. In connection with that initiative, USM faculty and staff achieved rec- ognition for the University of Maine System from the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense. MCSC is not so much a classroom setting as it is a training center that hires students, at the federally mandated work- study rate, to train them and then apply their training to real-world situations. "We bring students in and give them real-world problems and say, 'Solve this,'" says Edward Sihler, assistant director of MCSC. Working in a simulated town they've named Betaport, which has dif- ferent businesses such as a bank or cof- feehouse, students practice both defend- ing and attacking simulated websites associated with these companies. "When we do our job properly, in their junior or senior year, the stu- dents are out doing internships rather than working for MCSC," Sihler says. "We really want them to be pushed out the door." Cybersecurity is a body of technolo- gies, processes and practices designed to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage, or unau- thorized access. MCSC, headed up by Glenn Wilson, an associate research professor in USM's Department of Technology, consists of a systemwide cybersecurity laboratory headquartered at USM that has been officially up and running since August 2014. About $1 million went for lab con- struction, equipment — such as serv- ers, network gear, and software — and personnel, with about half coming from the Maine Technology Institute. e lab, set up as a shared and secure testing and evaluation environment, Edward Sihler of the Maine Cyber Security Cluster in his classroom at the Portland USM campus. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Cybersecurity lab poised to grow At USM, students gain real-world cyber experience B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r F O C U S connectivity point design & installation / ME - NH - MA / 866-782-0200 / connectivitypoint.com Connectivity is everything. Voice. Data. Video. Reliable access to technology is critical to your business. Connectivity Point is a Maine-owned company specializing in network cabling, audio/visual equipment, security solutions, wireless access and telephone systems. We design and install the connectivity for what's coming next. We're like IT guys. With tools. FREE ES TIMATES at connectivitypoint.com NET WORK C ABLING / AUDIO VISUAL / SECURIT Y / WIRELESS / TELEPHONE » C O N T I N U E D F R O M C O V E R

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