Seven years ago I left a great job as the Director of Industrial Control Systems Security at FireEye/Mandiant to head up ISU’s Industrial Cybersecurity Degree program.

I did it because I was — and I remain — certain that the best way to secure the digital future for critical infrastructure is to create the high quality educational programming that will give us a new generation of engineering and technology professionals capable of seamlessly moving between IT, OT, engineering, and cybersecurity domains.

Along this journey, I have proposed new educational pathways, recruited students, authored courses, created exams, hired faculty, taught diligently, stayed up past midnight grading, and placed students at fantastic national-level employers.

It has been a stretching experience to essentially start over with nothing but a vision.

About two years ago, ISU’s Industrial Cybersecurity Program received recognition as an NSA-designated cybersecurity program.

I am pleased to share that this week the Program has also received official ABET accreditation!

As a testament to ISU ESTEC’s quality, all five of the department’s Engineering Technology Programs (Electrical, Instrumentation, Mechanical, Nuclear Operations and Industrial Cybersecurity) are ABET accredited!