Meet Mark Tachick, a soon-to-be graduate of Boise State University’s Bachelor of Science in Cyber Operations and Resilience. Before joining the program, Tachick worked in physical labor through an employment agency in the Treasure Valley. However, as he rang the bell for the Salvation Army, he found himself yearning for more challenges. He knew pursuing a degree in cybersecurity was just the challenge he needed.
The encouragement he received from Kody Walker motivated Tachick to enroll in the Cyber Operations program at Boise State. Tachick had completed an associate program in cybersecurity at the College of Western Idaho alongside Walker. Tachick initially thought he wanted to dive into the workforce. With the momentum of finishing intensive four-week courses, he realized the seven-week courses at Boise State would offer a nice pace and a chance to round out his cybersecurity knowledge.
Through the program, Tachick gained knowledge in resiliency, governance and risk concepts, expanding his knowledge beyond the technical controls for security. He credits the cyber operations and resiliency classes such as Cyber Risk Assessment, Resilience System Design, Cyber Threat Intelligence and Cyber Risk Management for adding layers beyond just the networking side to security. These courses taught him about balancing risk and governance with security and budget and how important communication with everyone in the organization can be.
Despite being a self-identified introvert, Tachick attended almost every cybersecurity event and conference advertised by the CORe program, leading him to make new connections with other professionals and students.
Tachick has already experienced two successes since becoming a student of the CORe program. During his senior year, he took his education and applied it to his role as an engineering intern at the Institute for Pervasive Cybersecurity. Tachick will also be starting his internship at Idaho National Lab in its research and development department shortly after graduating. He credits these successes to the skills he learned through the Cyber Operations and Resilience program and the relationships he’s made with his professors along the way.
For Tachick, the program opened doors to a fulfilling career in cybersecurity and provided him with a deep appreciation for the field. He credits the program to the faculty, particularly professors Sin Ming Loo and Kody Walker, for connecting him with the skills and contacts he needed to achieve these successes.
Tachick encourages students not to be afraid of breaking things.
“It’s the best way to learn,” he said.
He also urges future students to use the program’s many free resources, start with TryHackMe or the CyberLab, talk to their professors, attend office hours and explore networking events.
Learn More About Cyber Operations and Resilience
Boise State’s online cyber operations and resilience program helps future cyber professionals acquire the skills needed to succeed in the cyber operations field. Earn your degree from wherever you are with 100% online courses. Contact a student success coach to get started!