Mark Schleisner
Mark Schleisner, a long-time IT project manager and analyst and master鈥檚 candidate in the Katz School鈥檚 cybersecurity program, has obtained a coveted credential, which is granted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, also known as (ISC)虏.
鈥淢ark鈥檚 advanced skills in cybersecurity will help him open a new chapter in his career, as well as gain the support of a large community of cybersecurity professionals,鈥 said Lev Feldman, co-director of the Katz School鈥檚 cybersecurity program. 鈥淐ISSP is well-recognized and globally trusted, and it enables students to perform various security job functions and pursue an advanced IT security career.鈥
Mark was most recently an IT project manager for the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, and for years he鈥檚 been an IT and security consultant. After he graduates from the Katz School鈥檚 program in August, he鈥檚 interested in getting a job as a cybersecurity analyst, cybersecurity threat investigator or cybersecurity program manager.
鈥淚 joined the program with a nontraditional background, but as an IT project manager I had always been doing information access management鈥攔egulating who could get into the network and who could access the database and what they could do with it,鈥 said Mark. 鈥淎nd when I led teams building business websites, I was automatically conducting vulnerability assessments and implementing security features.鈥
As he started doing more security work as a project manager, he decided to 鈥渢ake the leap鈥 full-time into cybersecurity. But it first took a coincidental introduction to David Schwed, the other co-director of the Katz School鈥檚 cybersecurity program, at a cybersecurity Meetup event. David strongly encouraged Mark to apply.
鈥淒avid was the reason I got into the school and the reason I stayed through some very tough moments,鈥 said Mark, 鈥渁nd Lev wisely encouraged me to take the CISSP exam right after my fall semester.鈥
The Katz School鈥檚 cybersecurity program provides know-how in systems architecture, operating systems, applications, endpoints, securing data, networking, cloud security and software development. Students learn to analyze threat landscapes and security frameworks, as well as legal, compliance and audit frameworks, and to develop internal and external communication strategies for promoting a cybersecurity culture.
鈥淭he cybersecurity program has been challenging,鈥 said Mark, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 been a great education. At first, I had doubts about the workload, but everyone in the program, faculty and students alike, supported and encouraged me and got me through.鈥
For his capstone project, he鈥檚 been given a case study of a fictional bank with 10,000 employees and an IT department, and his task is to build a new cybersecurity department in two months.
鈥淚 feel well-qualified to enter this industry now,鈥 said Mark, 鈥渁nd a lot more confident about the talents I have to offer an employer.鈥
Click here for more information about the cybersecurity program and here for the Bright Futures Scholarship Initiative that will enable you to get a master's degree in any one of eight Katz School science and technology programs for a fix tuition of $25,000.
Mark Schleisner
