Duke Launches CISO Executive Education Certificate Program for Executives and Governmental Employees Managing Cyber Risk

Chief Information Security Officers, government officials, managers, and executives worldwide can receive cutting-edge, adaptive, and interdisciplinary training that enables them to navigate the increasingly complex environment of their organizations and beyond. Duke University has just launched an 11-week executive certificate program designed to educate and empower executives in the cybersecurity arena to prevent and address cyber risk more effectively and following the most recent regulatory requirements.

Managed by the Duke Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity in collaboration with the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy, the Duke Law School, and the Department of Computer Science, the executive CISO certificate brings together leading global experts and practitioners. Participants will engage in a rigorous online curriculum and gain proficiency in diverse subjects, including but not limited to cloud security, operational technology security, artificial intelligence/machine learning security, and various other pertinent topics. “When program participants finish this program, they will be able to provide oversight and governance for a cybersecurity program, develop cybersecurity metrics that align to organizational goals, identify regulatory or legal risk to the organization, set up goals for high-performance cybersecurity operations teams and understand emerging technologies and potential risk impact to the organization,” stated Art Ehuan, the program director.

The Duke CISO Executive Certificate Program invites candidates to apply by submitting a brief online application form. Selected candidates will attend the program from May 20th to July 26th, 2024. In the first week, at the Duke campus in Durham, North Carolina, for a four-day intensive, immersive training during the Cybersecurity Leadership Program. Nine weekly virtual modules will follow, each with 3 hours of instruction. After demonstrating the skills and knowledge gained in the program through a final examination in the 11^th week, candidates will earn their competitive Duke executive CISO certificate.

The certificate is meant to address a significant knowledge gap due to the rapid development of the cybersecurity field. “Many chief information security officers were promoted internally from IT organizations. While they may have technical competency, they are placed into CISO roles without understanding the enhanced responsibilities of a cybersecurity program, like budget, interacting with the board of directors, etc. This lack of knowledge impacts the CISO’s ability to provide the most optimal advice and guidance to the organization. It may lead to risk impact without appropriate training and education,” explained the program director of the Duke CISO executive certificate program, Art Ehuan.