NEW ORLEANS — In November, a cyber attack forced the State of Louisiana to shutdown its offices statewide. Everything from the state’s government websites to office like OMVs across the state were crippled.

The next month, it was the City of New Orleans’ turn to be targeted. Then a tech college in the Baton Rouge area.

In an ironic twist, the Morial Convention Center hosted a convention for cyber security right about the time it was also hit with the malware.

So it should come as no surprise — but maybe as a great opportunity for students — that Loyola University is now offering a degree in cybersecurity.

The university says it will be an undergraduate degree offered through its computer science department.

“As recent events locally have demonstrated, there is a pressing need for more cybersecurity professionals,” said President Tania Tetlow in a written statement announcing the new degree specialization. “At Loyola New Orleans, we are proud to help meet that need and provide our students the careers of the future.”

The program officially launches in the fall of 2020. According to the university, the degree will cover the topic completely, from storage to transmission, applications, and organizational measures needed to preserve and protect sensitive systems and their information.

Anyone interested in applying can click here for more information.