As the world grows evermore dependent on information technology, cyber threats have the potential to touch, if not harm, every institution in American society. The nature of the cyber threat is so strategic, pervasive and precise as to warrant attention by leaders in government, military and business, as well as the general public.
"Leadership in a Cyber Age" is an initiative intended to help prepare America's institutional leaders for the complexities of operating in an area of cyber threat. Ongoing research seeks to identify and investigate key issues in leadership development across society, and to recommend improvements so that the United States, as a society, is prepared for the threats of the modern world.
One Leader at a Time: The Failure to Educate Future Leaders for an Age of Persistent Cyber Threat
Author: Francesca Spidalieri
America's colleges and universities are failing to prepare the next generation of leaders for responsibility in an age of cyber threat. In a new study, "One Leader at a Time: The Failure to Educate Future Leaders for an Age of Persistent Cyber Threat," Pell Center fellow Francesca Spidalieri details the failing of America's most prestigious graduate programs to prepare their graduates - and ultimately the nation - for leadership of critical institutions.
Cyber threats have the potential to undo all the economic, social and military advances that cyberspace has enabled. Ultimately, these threats can touch, if not harm, every institution in American society - from the U.S. government to banks and hospitals, universities, corporations, and more. It is no wonder then, that President Barack Obama referred to cybersecurity as "one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face."
Yet the training of America's next generation of leaders has, on balance, remained remarkably disconnected from the challenges of this century. In researching "One at a Time," Spidalieri surveyed 70 top-ranked master's-level programs in business, law, public affairs, public policy, international relations, criminal justice and health care management. Not one of the programs reviewed - not one - includes any aspect of cybersecurity among their core requirements. In fact, of the 70 elite programs surveyed, only 10 clustered among five universities scored 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale to assess the exposure their students receive to cybersecurity issues.