September 17, 2012 
RICHLAND, Wash. - Columbia Basin College is starting a new, comprehensive plan 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 plan is planned for Fall 2013. Battelle is contributing $118,000 for development and implementation of the 1st year of the Bachelor of Applied Science plan 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 plan 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 plan will help fill that workforce need while at the same time provide a critical service locally and nationally," says Pacific Northwest National Lab Director, Mike Kluse.
For more information, visit the Columbia Basin College website.
Tags: Computational Science, National Security, Cyber Security
Battelle is the world's biggest independent research and development organization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 22,000 employees in in excess of 130 locations worldwide. Battelle has managed the D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland, Wash., since the laboratory's inception in 1965.
Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab 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 yearly budget of nearly $1 billion, and has been managed for the D.O.E. 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.
