Dangers of Java and the Importance of a Broad IT Background


Let’s talk about some security news.



Looks out there – Java is dangerous! The Department of Homeland Security has advised disabling it in browsers if possible. Apparently, it is going to take a while for the problems with Java to be fixed….

“HD Moore, founder of Rapid7, added that Oracle is likely to spend at least two years sorting out shortcomings in Java's security management without even factoring in the discovery of additional bugs.
"Oracle has already spent a year working through these issues ... but will likely need another two years to fix them completely," he said.”

This article reminds me of the importance of cross-curriculum education within the various fields of computing (networks, databases, web development, application development, object oriented programming, hardware, etc.). That is why I really like the NJIT Information Technology curriculum. The core course requirements cover so many of the basics: Python, Java, an Advanced Programming Class, an introductory Linux class, web programming, an introduction to game and graphic design, networking courses, a database class, systems integration, and a capstone. We have quality professors who are willing to help and don’t demand excessive amounts of work either. On top of this, there are eight additional specialization classes plus free electives and GURs. I wish I had started out as a freshman as an Information Technology major, but I didn’t. Now I am a semester from graduation and there are so many more classes that I wish I could take here. I wish I had more time here, but I am also looking forward to getting a job and eventually starting my masters.
I definitely want to do a masters’ degree at some point; I am not sure where my job will take me, but if it keeps me in New Jersey, New Jersey Institute of Technology will be a likely choice. I’m starting to look at courses and I really want to be exposed to a wide variety of computing related concepts so that I can move to positions of higher responsibility as I progress in my career. When I look at the various masters’ courses in NJIT’s college of computing sciences course catalog, I feel like taking them all, but obviously I can’t so I’ve picked the top ones from the four departments(IS, IT, CS, BNFO) based on personal experience and interest and professor ratings:

1)      IS 613: Design of Emergency Management Information Systems
2)      IS 614: Command and Control Systems
3)      IS or CS 631 (but may not be a top priority since I had two undergrad db classes)
4)      IS 663: System Analysis and Design
5)      IS 683: Open Source Web Development
6)      IS 684: Business Process Innovation
7)      IS 685: Enterprise Architecture and Integration
8)      IT 635: Database Administration
9)      CS 632: Advanced Database Systems Design
10)   CS 685: Software Architecture
11)   BNFO 644 or CS 634: Data Mining courses
12)   CS 683: Software Project Management
13)   IT 610: System Administration
14)   IS 687: Transaction Mining and Fraud Detection
15)   IS or CS 698: Special Topics in IS or CS

When I look at the requirements for the various masters programs, it seems that I could pick from this list and either do an IS degree or an IT Admin degree. IS allows me to make my own specialization so I may be inclined to choose that program unless I can create my own program from scratch OR do a specialization in with IT.

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