FTCC Under Frontlines of Cyber Warfare: Are We Next?
posted by Aliann Acevedo Perez | March 28, 2022 | In NewsOn March 22, the FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the FBI is concerned with the possibility of Russian cyberattacks on the U.S. in the midst of Russia’s war with Ukraine. According to ABC News, Wray stated: “The reason we’re concerned about it is not just based on our longstanding understanding of how the Russians operate, but it’s actually the product of specific investigative work and surveillance work that we’ve been doing all together.”
The FBI states that cyberattacks do not happen overnight. Director Wray stated that there is “scanning and researching: researching a victim, scanning for vulnerabilities.” Already, the FBI has seen five energy companies have their systems scanned already.
This warning placed students at FTCC in a tough position. Christopher Barksdale, a retired veteran and former Army aircraft mechanic, told WTVD: “It does kind of feel like you’re on the frontline but in a digital sense. … You hear about digital attacks here and digital attacks there, and it’s almost like you’re getting involved in a major conflict again.”
FTCC offers a six-week cyber security course, in which Barksdale enrolled. The instructor of the course, Darryl Carter told WTVD: “The same technology that they use to operate your car is the same technology that they are going to use to try and break into your computer at home.”
Fayetteville State University also offers a cybersecurity program through their Center for Defense & Homeland Security. The certification can be completed in 33-40 course sessions.
Being so close to a military installation, it is not uncommon to have a tie to the military or know someone who has served. As a dependent, who has a father that deployed six times, I often found myself preoccupied with whether he’d return safely or not. But what happens when an attack is brought to our personal devices?
Photo courtesy of Richard Patterson
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