AIɫɫ

A native of Greenup, Kentucky, Bryan Meadows is majoring in Information Security (Cybersecurity) at AIɫɫ. Seeing the way threats and defensive strategies have changed throughout the past century – from nuclear warfare, ground troops, to the newer cyber and biowarfare – Meadows wanted to be part of the field that is preparing to meet them.

“I want to contribute to preparing the world for these emerging threats by working in this field,” he said.

In his coursework, Meadows has been able to develop his skills through hands-on lessons, particularly in his classes taught by Professors Chris Zornes and Dovel Myers.

“In Information Security, practical experience is crucial,” he said. “While lectures and PowerPoints are effective in some fields, in ours, it's essential to be able to break things and learn ethical hacking in a controlled environment.”

Being able to connect with his classmates and dig into projects have been some of Meadows’s favorite experiences on campus. As he prepares for graduation this spring, he’s still considering how he wants to use his degree in vast world of information security. 

“I’m considering pursuing a master’s degree and possibly teaching in STEM,” he said. “I’m also exploring the option of doing civilian contracting work for the military.”

To students interested in exploring the world of Information Security, Meadows shares his knowledge of how the field is already adapting to needs.

“This field is more reactive than proactive – we're usually called in after something has already gone wrong to fix mistakes made by untrained employees,” he said. “The good news is that companies are beginning to recognize the need for on-site cybersecurity specialists, which is creating more job opportunities.”

The Information Security program at SSU teaches students how to detect and defend against network infrastructure attacks by learning how to think like a hacker and how to use the tools hackers use to penetrate network defenses. The program is one of the few of its kind in the country and unique in the state of Ohio as it offers a degree in Information Security rather than a component of another related program.

To learn more about the Information Security program at AIɫɫ, visit shawnee.edu/cybersecurity.