According to David Grover, Baylor’s senior director of cyber initiatives, most people have a very clear – if inaccurate – picture in their head of online threats.
“Most people believe what they see on TV: the hooded hacker that’s selling your banking secrets or something,” he laughed. “While there are aspects of that, it’s usually not the case.”
Instead cybersecurity is just ensuring that all of your information online is safe and secure from threats – hooded or otherwise, Grover said. And in today’s world where everything is online, it makes sense that the field is growing, and fast.
What is Cybersecurity, Anyway?
Baylor has several new offerings to prepare students who want to get into the cybersecurity world. According to three Baylor experts — Grover; Dr. Ernest Bonnah, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Dr. Erika Leal, “the face of cybersecurity at Baylor,” as she puts it — it’s important to understand just how much information about ourselves we’re all putting online on a daily basis.
“Almost everything in our lives is online,” Bonnah said. “Everything that we do, one way or another, involves putting sensitive information online.”
He cites examples like shopping on Amazon, ordering takeout to your home, using medical devices, going to the doctor or hospital, checking email, bank accounts, even adjusting the thermostat — all of this information, he said, is online, and all of it is susceptible to cyber attacks. Cyber attacks can range from people stealing your information for financial gain to simply wreaking havoc for fun.
“All of this needs some level of security so that your information does not get exploited,” Grover said. “So where a lot of people think of cybersecurity as, ‘Oh, that’s just my banking information,’ cybersecurity really covers all aspects of your life.”
Leal said most people in the cybersecurity field aren’t actually hoodie-wearing hackers in dark rooms, shrouded in mystery.
“So it’s a myth that we’re all hackers,” she laughed. “But the idea that we’re the coolest — that part is true.”
What Are the Real Threats?
Ordering takeout, adjusting the thermostat, going to the doctor — all of these day-to-day activities usually seem benign, unless someone gets ahold of some sensitive information.
Take the thermostat as a simple example. Many people have thermostats connected to their home’s Wi-Fi, so they’re able to change the temperature by voice or electronically. According to Grover, this simple convenience could mean an adversary could go through the thermostat to get access to a network and expose personal information.
Another much more dangerous example is the medical field. Bonnah described an article he read about a doctor who performed surgery on a patient — from a different country. The surgeon used a robot, which was connected to a device thousands of miles away via fiber optic cables and the internet.
“Imagine somebody who hacks into that system. Life would be gone,” he said. “The impact of what we’re talking about is usually credit cards and those things, but honestly, those are the little things.
“Think about autonomous vehicles, healthcare, agriculture, water treatment facilities … If somebody were to hack into [those systems], the damage can be huge.”
Why Does Cybersecurity Matter Right Now?
Whether we think about it or not, our lives are online. Right now, reading this, you’re connected to the internet. It’s likely you’re logged into several accounts — email, Google, work accounts, bank accounts — even as you’re reading these words.
“The more connected we are as a society, the more cybersecurity is going to be a necessary part of your everyday life,” Grover said. He also emphasized that with the advent of generative AI, hackers are able to attack networks more efficiently, which may account, in part, for the current uptick in cyber attacks.
According to the World Economic Forum, cyber attacks “continue to increase in scale, sophistication and strategic intent.” It names examples like Salt Typhoon, which recently infiltrated U.S. critical infrastructure and the cybercrime group Lazarus, which stole $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency.
“When all of [these systems] were created there was trust,” Leal said. “But now there isn’t. And nation attacks, cyber warfare, and all of that is becoming more sophisticated.”
Cybersecurity at Baylor
With the growing threat there is a growing need for jobs in the cybersecurity field. Baylor has answered the call and currently provides several different tracks to get involved.
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
For many years, Baylor has offered a degree in computer science with a cybersecurity concentration. According to Leal, this means students will get a “traditional computer science background,” but specialize in cybersecurity.
“You’re going to learn all about our founders, like Dijkstra’s algorithm,” Leal said. “You’re going to learn database, networking, … all of the foundational computer science concepts. All of the concepts we have to struggle through.”
Bachelor of Science in Informatics Cybersecurity Major
The cybersecurity major is new ay Baylor, and according to Leal, is more focused on cybersecurity without so many of the foundational computer science aspects. In this new major, she said, students will start from ground zero to begin learning with a cybersecurity mindset — thinking specifically about how to protect a system.
The difference between the two options, Leal said, is “with computer science, we have the foundation — the math and proofs — and in the [new] cybersecurity degree, you’re not going to see proofs. Definitely not.”
Central Texas Cyber Hub
The Central Texas Cyber Hub is also new. It began with a grant awarded in early 2025 with the mission to “establish Central Texas as a leading center of excellence in cybersecurity education.” The hub is currently made up of a partnership with Baylor, McLennan Community College, Central Texas College, ESC Region 12, and local industry partners.
Grover, who oversees the Central Texas Cyber Hub, said it includes several pathways for students of all ages. All of Baylor’s undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees fall under the hub’s umbrella, but the hub also includes advanced certification programs, K-12 programs, camps, competitions, and trainings. The consortium even offers a joint degree program between Baylor and MCC in which students can complete foundational studies at the community college before completing a bachelor’s degree at the University.
“As a consortium we are really trying to address the national cyber workforce needs,” Grover said, adding that a lot of the time, cybersecurity is moving at a faster pace than academia itself. “So we want to close the gap between degree-achieving students’ knowledge base and what they need for entry into the job market.”
Cybersecurity Competitions and Clubs
According to Leal, Baylor has a variety of competition-based learning activities for students interested in cybersecurity. The Baylor Cybersecurity Team participates in the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and consistently ranks among the top schools nationally, as well as smaller competitions like Hivestorm and NCL.
Leal described these competitions as a sort of rally between “offense” and “defense,” where one side tries to penetrate a system, the other side tries to protect it, and students get to play both.
Baylor Cyber Range
The Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) serves as a hub for some of the most innovative research being done in the country and is also home to the Baylor Cyber Range.
Imagine a very large control center-like room filled with computers and two massive screens in the front — that’s the cyber range. The cyber range is not on Baylor’s network, Leal explained, so she and her students are able to safely do trainings, research, and live scenarios in the new, multi-million-dollar space.
“With the cyber range, we’re calling out to industries and other universities who want to work with us,” Leal said, adding, “alumni are welcome too.”
It’s Bigger than Baylor
Cybersecurity is bigger than Baylor. It’s bigger than Central Texas, or Texas, or even the U.S. All over the world, the need for cybersecurity is increasing, as all of the world, people are becoming more connected by the internet.
“The need for cybersecurity is a very real thing,” Grover said, “and something that we want to meet head-on. At Baylor, we just want to be at the forefront of what’s happening.”
