My name is Joshua Miller. I am currently a teacher working in Dahlgren, Virginia. I am interested in cybersecurity because I have always had an interest and propensity for computer science and network related applications of computer concepts. I took a few cybersecurity related courses for my computer science major and thoroughly enjoyed them, enough to inspire me to change my major completely and begin researching in the field for employment opportunities. My job has always involved defense contracting or government defense and cybersecurity skills translate very well in these fields.

Old dominion university currently offers many majors that relate to cybersecurity, even if they’re related in seemingly unrelated ways. Due to the nature of cybersecurity, many interdisciplinary approaches to the subject are implemented into the study. One major offered by ODU that is the most obvious in terms of relation would be Computer Science. Computers are the lifeblood of cybersecurity, and understanding the inner and outer workings of how they work could greatly enhance your understanding of Cybersecurity.

IT Systems and Technology is another major offered by ODU that has a close relation to Cybersecurity, as much of what is learned in cybersecurity has applications in securing systems in the IT Systems and Technology field. When learning about IT, it is important to also understand the best security practices, and vice versa, it is important when studying cybersecurity to understand the IT infrastructure that the security practices are implemented on top of.

Political and Legal studies is a major that can tie into cybersecurity. As the modern era progresses, more and more crimes committed in the cyber realm take place. Having an understanding of cybersecurity is essential when making legal decisions involving cyber incidents. There are also methods of testing in cybersecurity called penetration testing, in which you need to run a system through a gauntlet of tests to ensure that the system is secure. While doing these tests, researchers need to ensure that they’re legally in the green and not violating any privacy or security laws.

Finally, philosophy is a major that can relate to cybersecurity and strengthen a professional’s understanding of the field. As more and more people are effected by cyber crime and the methods of determent change, it is important to take ethics into account and remember the humans behind the screens.