James Madison University and Anomali Partner to Prepare Students to Enter the Cybersecurity Job Market
Curriculum that Utilizes Leading Threat Intelligence Platform Gives JMU Graduates Real-World Work Experience
Harrisonburg, VA. -– May 13, 2021 -- James Madison University and Anomali, the leader in intelligence-driven cybersecurity solutions, today announced the integration of the Anomali ThreatStream threat intelligence platform (TIP) into JMU’s Cyber Intelligence Graduate Certificate program.
The recent cyberattack on the nation’s largest fuel pipeline, Colonial Pipeline, underscores the damage that cybercrime can cause. To combat rising cybercrime, hiring managers increasingly seek trained individuals who focus on the analytical aspects of cybersecurity. Amid this increased demand, JMU and Anomali saw an opportunity to prepare more people to work as cyber threat intelligence (CTI) analysts with on-the-job skills associated with analyzing cyberthreats and threat actors.
By integrating Anomali into its Cyber Intelligence graduate courses, JMU is preparing aspiring analysts for the cybersecurity workforce. Because students in the certificate program use Anomali ThreatStream prior to graduation, they’re able to immediately step up as functional analysts without a lot of additional training.
“With the acceleration of digital transformation cyberattacks are only going to grow, and with more advanced sophistication. It is imperative that we develop a new generation of talent, thought leaders focused on cybersecurity management and proper technology deployment, if we are to meet the challenges that modern cyberthreats present,” said Ahmed Rubaie, Anomali CEO. “Today, it is estimated that there are more than three million open cybersecurity positions across the world, and this number will only grow from here. To help the industry overcome talent shortages, we are delighted to partner with JMU and other universities to provide a curriculum that helps higher-learning institutions meet the growing demand for skilled and diverse cybersecurity professionals.”
Anomali ThreatStream aggregates threat intelligence from diverse sources, provides an integrated set of tools for fast and efficient investigations, and delivers operationalized threat intelligence to security controls at machine speed. With ThreatStream, intelligence analysts identify risk factors and threat networks, perform due diligence, and conduct retroactive forensic analysis to identify relevant threats. The platform is fully integrated into coursework in JMU’s Cyber Intelligence Graduate Certificate program, progressing through the entire threat intelligence cycle.
JMU graduate students from diverse domains like healthcare, criminal justice, technology, business, or sports use the ThreatStream platform and conduct analytical methodologies like the Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis. For example, one JMU course requires students to identify geopolitical and cyberthreat trends as they analyze implications of ransomware attacks in their specific domains.
Students focus on ransomware attacks in police departments, institutions of higher education, sporting events, and critical infrastructure (e.g., financial services, healthcare facilities). “These types of real-world projects enhance students’ analytical mindset and situational awareness as they provide insight into an organization’s cyberthreats, risks, and cyber hygiene approaches,” said Dr. Edna Reid, founder of this innovative online part-time interdisciplinary certificate program.
About Anomali
Anomali is the leader in intelligence-driven cybersecurity. More than 1,500 public and private sector organizations rely on Anomali to see and detect threats more quickly, reduce the risk of security breaches, and improve security operations productivity. Anomali solutions serve customers around the world in nearly every major industry vertical, including many of the Global 2000. As an early threat intelligence innovator, Anomali was founded in 2013 and is backed by leading venture firms including GV, Paladin Capital Group, In-Q-Tel, Institutional Venture Partners, and General Catalyst. Learn more at www.anomali.com.
About JMU
James Madison University is a public university in Harrisonburg, VA. Ranked #3 among Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, JMU is fast becoming one of the nation’s leading lights in higher education because students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty. JMU’s Cyber Intelligence Graduate Certificate is an online interdisciplinary program that can be completed in a year of part-time asynchronous study. Students take six 3-credit courses at their own pace. If you’re an analytical individual with a knack for problem-solving and working in gray areas with a lot of uncertainty, you’re well-positioned for a career in cyber intelligence -- regardless of your undergraduate training. No GRE is required for this graduate program.
