Don Easton, a faculty member in Computer Information Systems at 糖心Vlog官方, was recently featured in an expert interview by Cybersecurity Guide, a national publication that profiles educators helping students enter the growing cybersecurity field.
Easton serves as the lead faculty member for 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity. The program is structured to introduce students to the core concepts of information technology before advancing to more specialized topics in digital defense and forensics. In the interview, Easton explained that the curriculum intentionally begins with foundational courses in Windows, Linux, programming and networking.
鈥淭he AAS is a two-year program, 90 credits, so full-time students can complete it in two years,鈥 Easton said. 鈥淭he first year is a lot of generalized IT, so we鈥檝e got some Windows courses and Linux. They take two courses in programming and two courses in networking.鈥
In the second year, students move into focused cybersecurity training. Courses include security operations, incident response, ethical hacking and digital forensics. According to Easton, this structure is intended to prepare students for both immediate employment and long-term adaptability in a fast-changing field.
鈥淲e get into some more specialized courses,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an ethical hacking course, and courses on forensics analysis, network security and incident response.鈥
Easton noted that the program is open to students from a wide range of backgrounds, including those with no prior technical experience. Others enroll with previous training or employment in general IT and are looking to specialize.
鈥淭he program鈥檚 designed for people coming in with no experience,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat said, we do get people with experience that come back to fill in some holes or maybe they鈥檙e trying to move from general IT into cybersecurity.鈥
His own path into the industry began outside the classroom. Easton was first exposed to programming in middle and high school. After serving in the Army, he taught himself the skills needed for his first technical job and later returned to school for formal training. That experience has shaped his teaching approach and his understanding of who community college programs can serve.
鈥淲hen I got out of the Army, I was self-taught and was able to get my first technical job,鈥 Easton said.
The full interview is available at:
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