Five Questions With: Alan Usas

Alan Usas is director of Brown University’s new executive master in cybersecurity program. / COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY
Alan Usas is director of Brown University’s new executive master in cybersecurity program. / COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY

Alan Usas, director of Brown University’s executive master in cybersecurity program, discusses the new program with Providence Business News. The intensive 16-month program is for individuals who want to advance their careers in cybersecurity; it is taught by leaders from Brown’s Department of Computer Science and Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, and by practitioners who are driving advances in cybersecurity.

PBN: Where did the idea for the executive master in cybersecurity program come from?
USAS:
We developed this program to meet the rapidly expanding demand for cybersecurity leaders – one of today’s greatest business needs due to the number of attacks in all sectors. Cybersecurity is a global problem that demands advances in technology to keep our personal data and corporate records secure, and new policies to set standards at the national, international and corporate level. Brown is known for interdisciplinary excellence and convenes experts in computer science, public policy and human factors. This program cultivates strategically minded leaders prepared to develop and implement effective solutions to the tough problems of cybersecurity.

PBN: Has there been a lot of demand for a program like this from the business community?
USAS:
Absolutely. Cybersecurity is the most compelling issue in information technology and an increasingly urgent problem in global security. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the biggest job growth nationwide is in the professional services sector, where 38 percent of the technology jobs are in cybersecurity. Supply isn’t keeping up with demand. Technology, manufacturing, defense, finance, government, insurance, retail and health care sectors all need cybersecurity leaders. There’s a skills gap and urgent need for leaders who understand the complexity of cybersecurity. Businesses are hungry for experts who can keep them ahead of global hacker threats and protect their customers, brands, data, information and assets.

PBN: Who could benefit most from participating in the program?
USAS:
Brown’s program is for professionals who want to advance their careers in cybersecurity. They may be technically trained or come from a legal or other business background and find themselves tasked with managing this large and demanding function. Suddenly they are responsible for cybersecurity and expected to have an immediate and persistent impact in this uncertain, evolving area. In the program, these aspiring leaders will deal with technology and policy, and the economic, human, legal, organizational and socio-political factors that make cybersecurity so challenging.

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Students benefit from being in a cohort with committed peers and continue working so they immediately apply what they learn to real-time challenges in their own organizations. They complete the program with powerful solutions that bring tangible results to their organizations.

PBN: Do you think cyberthreats will continue to grow? It seems that data breaches are happening more frequently, and all kinds of companies are being targeted. Is it because companies are not prepared to deal with breaches, or are thieves just becoming more and more sophisticated?
USAS:
Cyber threats are definitely growing and their frequency and sophistication will increase – whether it’s bad actors bent on getting our personal data or terrorists determined to disrupt our way of life. We count on businesses and governments to prevent attacks but that’s no guarantee they won’t happen. Brown’s executive master in cybersecurity prepares leaders to create resilient organizations that fend off attacks when possible but respond quickly and effectively when the inevitable occurs. We can’t build walls high enough to ensure ultimate security; we must be ready to act, to contain the damage, improve the systems and keep moving forward. That’s what effective cybersecurity leaders do.

PBN: What about this issue interests you?
USAS:
I am very familiar with the ongoing risks and threats to data security and privacy. During my career, I have worked with brilliant IT professionals from industry and academia. Now I am committed to developing the next generation of cyber leaders – to helping them achieve their full capacity as leaders, communicators and agents of positive change within their organizations. I want to help them build resilient, responsive systems with the knowledge and experience they’ll gain in this program. There’s nothing more exciting than working with hard-driving professionals who are on the front lines of cybersecurity.

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