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College of Engineering

Cyber Security Engineering

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A Cyber Security Engineer
In The Making

In today’s digital age, almost everything happens in cyberspace. From phones to airplanes, healthcare to battlefields, social media to schools and the workplace – cyberspace is a major means of communication. Secure use of this cyberspace while ensuring privacy of individuals must be guaranteed.

Your Discovery In The Making

Cyber security engineers play a critical role in all aspects of cyber security, from protecting data to securing networks and systems from adversaries, thus enabling safer cities, societies and economies. Cyber security engineers must always be ahead of the curve, designing the newest protections against emerging and foreseeable future cyber threats.

Cyber security engineers:

  • Design the next generation of cyber security protection mechanisms
  • Protect critical services such as hospitals, power grids and water treatment plants
  • Prevent and solve cyber crimes
  • Develop solutions to ensure safety and privacy of people online
  • Protect global information systems and physical networks

Your Path In The Making

The Iowa State University bachelor of science degree program in cyber security engineering is the first major of its kind offered in the state of Iowa. The program blends the core of computer engineering with cyber security, taking an engineering approach to solving future cyber security problems.

We train our students in the fundamentals of cyber security, as well as other aspects of computers, networks and software systems. Our faculty and students are involved in world-class research in different aspects of cyber security, such as hardware security, data security or application security.

Cyber security engineering is a fast-growing field where students can make a difference in the lives of everyone using the internet. In your future career, you will work on complex problems against a persistent adversary.

Consider these career area options:

  • Cyber operations: Use your skills to defend data, networks, people and infrastructure against attackers.
  • Penetration (Pen) testing: Help secure organizations by testing the security vulnerabilities of their physical and information infrastructure.
  • Security design: Work on the newest technologies to make the internet safer, or help organizations design products that are secure.
  • Digital forensics: Develop technologies to detect tampering of information that is being communicated and stored.
student sitting at desktop computer

Your Career In The Making

Many of our graduates have built successful careers not only as engineers, but also as managers, entrepreneurs, sales representatives and consultants.

  • The average starting salary of cyber security engineering graduates is more than $75,800/year.
  • Co-op and internship salaries for our students average $24.75/hour.
  • Approximately 1,400 companies recruit our engineers every year.
  • 90 percent of our cyber security engineering students have in-profession placement within six months of graduation.