Cyber Defense
Welcome to the Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) Cyber Defense Center (CDC). The mission of the CDC is to educate all members of our community on what each one of us can do, and to ensure all RRCC students & staff, along with the community we serve, have the resources needed to implement safe cybersecurity practices to stay secure online. Please use the navigation menu on this page to explore the different content on this CDC website.
"It is the policy of the United States to enhance the security and resilience of the Nation’s critical infrastructure and to maintain a cyber environment that encourages efficiency, innovation, and economic prosperity while promoting safety, security, business confidentiality, privacy, and civil liberties"
-Executive Order 13636 on February 12,2013
Did you know that October is National Cyber security Awareness Month? Although only 1 month is recognized as such, good cyber security practices should be incorporated all year round. For more information on how to do that visit our news & tips and: https://www.staysafeonline.org/
"Cyber security has an effect on all of us. Historically, only businesses and larger organizations heavily leveraged information technology in their everyday business processes. That is no longer the case. We all heavily use information technology in our daily lives whether we are shopping and paying bills online, working remotely, or remotely adjusting the temperature in the house while on vacation. Due to many aspects of our lives being constantly connected to the Internet, we need to ensure we are implementing safe cyber security practices. " - Joe Murdock, former faculty of RRCC
Red Rocks Cyber students in Washington D.C. for the 2017 Community College Innovation Challenge. They took 2nd place!
The Red Rocks Community College Cyber program is built using the Cybersecurity Framework from the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST). To find out more about this framework, visit NIST Cybersecurity Framework
Listen to the Colorado = Security podcast to learn more about the program. The program interview portion starts at 15:15.
RRCC has many Computer Information Systems (CIS) 2-year and degrees, a BAS degree, as well as certificates for students to pursue. Students can earn a degree or certificate to prove that they have the foundational knowledge and entry level skills required for one of the hottest growing careers today. If a career in a cyber security related field interests you, visit: https://niccs.us-cert.gov/careers/cybersecurity-careers to learn more.
For cyber students looking to pursue a 4-year degree after completing RRCC, you have local and online options:
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (Fairbanks, AK) - Bachelor's Degree in Security and Emergency Management Website or view transfer agreement here
- Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) - Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems ManagementWebsite or view transfer agreement here
- Colorado State University Global (online) - Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology Website or view transfer agreement here
- Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ and Online) - Bachelor's Degree in Cybersecurity Website of view transfer agreement here
- Regis University (Denver, CO) - Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology Website or view transfer agreement here
The mission of the Red Rocks Community College Cyber Team is to advance our learning with hands-on cyber security competitions. These competitions allow us to test our skills in real world scenarios and against other students from various schools. To date we have competed with and against students from Regis University, the University of New Mexico, BYU, CSU, and cadets from the United States Air Force Academy
The 'Cybersecurity Club' is made up of RRCC students interested in furthering their knowledge in the technical realm of information, networking and security. Club members have access to a cyber lab learning environment which consists of a server rack equipped with enterprise level components. The environment is isolated from the school network which allows students to create, explore and learn from a hands on approach. The club competes in the RMCCDC (Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition) which takes place once a year and is a good demonstration of our club's knowledge and ability to defend a network. Every student is welcome especially those interested in cyber security, computer technology, network technology, programming and website development.
In addition to coursework, industry certifications are another way you can prove your basic understanding of cyber security related concepts. Many of the courses in the Cyber program at RRCC are aligned with industry certifications. This means that after students successfully complete the course, they are better prepared to take these certification exams. As with any exam, it is a good idea to go back over all the necessary material before taking the exam to ensure you are fully prepared. Below are cyber security related courses that align with various industry certification exams:
- CompTIA A+
- CNG 1021 & 1022: Computer Technician
- CompTIA Network+
- CNG 1001: Networking Fundamentals
- ISACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals
- CNG 1031: Principles of Information Assurance
- CompTIA Security+(link is external) and (ISC)² Systems Security Certified Practitioner*
- CNG 1032: Network Security Fundamentals
- Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist
- CNG 2011: Windows Configuration
- (ISC)² Certified Cyber Forensics Professional*
- CNG 2058: Digital Forensics
- CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner* and most of (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional*
- CNG 2059: Enterprise Security
- Cisco Network Associate Cisco Certified Entry Networking Tech(link is external) and Cisco Certified Network Associate
- CNG 2060, 2061, 2062
*some higher level exams require past or future work experience to be eligible for certification.