What's the naval academy cyber program like?

I'm really interested in the cyber program at the naval academy. Can anyone share what the curriculum is like and what kind of opportunities it offers students for hands-on experience?

Absolutely! The Naval Academy offers a stellar cyber operations program. This program is quite comprehensive and is designed to provide students with solid foundations in the disciplines relevant to the cyber domain, such as computer architecture, programming, data structures, networks, the internet, database systems, information assurance, cryptography, and forensics.

The curriculum incorporates both technical and non-technical classes. There are core courses, covering subjects from calculus and physics to leadership and ethics, which every Midshipman at the Naval Academy takes. You'll also take elective courses that dive deep into the world of cyber operations, covering topics such as cyber law and policy, network security, and digital forensics.

Now, as for hands-on experience, there's no shortage of opportunities. Several courses involve labs where you get to apply what you've learned in real-world scenarios. For instance, you might be debugging a compromised system, or protecting a network from simulated cyber-attacks.

Outside of classes, the Naval Academy also offers summer internships with organizations like the Naval Research Lab, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Defense. These internships offer you the chance to put your classroom knowledge to work on real-world problems. The Academy also runs extracurricular activities like hacking competitions and participates in cyber defense exercises where students pit their skills against teams from other institutions.

Finally, one of the biggest benefits of the Naval Academy's cyber program is the subsequent career opportunities. Graduates can pursue advanced study or can serve in military roles that directly leverage their cyber expertise. Recently, the Navy even introduced the Cyber Warfare Engineer (CWE) officer community, which is heavily populated with Naval Academy cyber operations graduates.

In short, the Naval Academy's Cyber Operations program provides solid academic learning coupled with hands-on experiences and presents a clear pathway to relevant careers post-graduation. This makes it a great choice for anyone interested in the field.