Jesus Mendez has a vision for his next job. After nine years on active duty, the Marine Corps Reserve captain is looking ahead to a career in federal or local law enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Mendez doesn’t just want to wear the badge. He’d like to scour the Internet for bad guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s a lot easier to look at a robber and see an obvious crime being committed. But the effects of cyber crime can be much more far reaching,” Mendez says. “It’s not the sexy part of crime, but it’s something I would like to improve my general knowledge of.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To that end, he’s pursuing a master’s degree in both criminal justice and cyber crime at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia. It’s one of the numerous academic programs nationwide that combine a knowledge of the criminal system with an understanding of computer crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such jobs may combine a knowledge of computer networks with an understanding of criminal law, legal procedures and criminology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They are not your traditional cop,” said John Buerck, chair of computer information systems at Saint Louis University. A cyber expert in criminal justice will work on the cyber side while at the same time speaking the language of law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“They are the ones who can work effectively with the law enforcement community to create a good synergy between them,” Buerck said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Buerck’s counterpart at SLU is Matt Grawitch, interim chair of the criminal justice program. Guided by their joint expertise, the school is developing a bachelor’s program that will include content from both disciplines. The school will offer course credit for relevant military experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You’re going to see more and more degrees that are an integration of technology and criminal justice,” Grawitch said. “The way we have conceptualized it is that there will be a core set of courses within computer security, giving you the necessary background in computer systems and in security and intelligence. At the same time, you can get specialized information in law enforcement administration.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Often, IT experts and criminal justice professionals “speak a very different language, and there is this constant tension between them,” Grawitch said. Combined degrees help to bridge that gap. Graduates may work with law enforcement officers, helping to unravel cyber crimes, or they might work on the cyber side, where their understanding of legal procedures can help not only to prevent cyber attacks but to catch and convict the criminals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The combination of criminal justice and cybersecurity can be a natural fit. In cybersecurity, “there is a legal foundation for all that you do,” said James Marks, a retired Army major general and executive dean for University of Phoenix’s College of Criminal Justice and Security. The school offers a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Cybercrimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much as in cybersecurity, where a professional’s goal is to secure systems, “criminal justice is not simply protective or even reactive or responsive,” Marks said. “What you are really trying to achieve is a successful outcome.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘Be on the cutting edge’<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
In seeking those outcomes, the corporate world also is increasingly making a place for these professionals, recognizing the value of their combined expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“You’ve got so many corporations who want to find out who is hacking into them, but they also want to hire folks who can help make sure that if their credit card information is being stolen, they can find the evidence and have a successful conviction,” said Dr. Becky da Cruz, a criminal justice professor in charge of Armstrong’s Cyber Crime Certificate Program and M.S. in Criminal Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This is for people who want to be on the cutting edge of finding crime and criminals right where it is happening, and it is happening online,” da Cruz said. “It’s an exciting way for folks who want a degree to specialize in an area where a lot of criminal justice agencies haven’t gone yet.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Armstrong’s online coursework mirrors that typically found in other programs, with a cybersecurity element (looking at how computers work) as well as cyberforensics (how to find evidence), criminal investigations (the law enforcement process) and legal aspects of cyber crime (how to preserve evidence and present it in court).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Military experience may position someone well for this kind of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s the mentality: It’s about protecting people, protecting the public,” da Cruz said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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