PPSC sees rise in cybersecurity student enrollment as online threats increase

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — More students are turning to cybersecurity for a career path as data breaches and online scams continue to rise across Colorado.

At Pikes Peak State College, Cybersecurity Professor Nathan Roskop says his department has seen a 23% increase in enrollment in Fall 2025, compared to the Fall 2024 school semester.

As the digital world expands, the need to defend it grows, he said. The urgency becomes clearer when examining who is falling victim to online scams.

"Certain groups are disproportionately affected because they're not trained," Roskop said. "They may not have ever heard of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. So I think it's super critical to get the word out to all languages and to all different groups of people."

Cybersecurity Awareness Month kicked off on October 1st. It's a "national effort to promote online safety and the critical role it plays in protecting families, businesses and communities," according to a news release from the Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D-Colo).

According to a 2025 Consumer Cyber Readiness Report, 37% of Black people reported losing money to scams, compared to 15% of white people. Income levels also play a significant role in vulnerability.

The report shows 29% of people making less than $30,000 annually reported losing money to scams, while only 10% of those earning $100,000 or more experienced financial losses from cyber crimes.

To address these disparities, Pikes Peak State College has implemented strategic outreach efforts.

"We've specifically targeted underrepresented populations like females and other groups to try to raise awareness in cybersecurity and bring them into our profession. Because that diversity is needed in order to protect everybody," Roskop said.

Roskop said the college hopes to collaborate with more local businesses and organizations to better prepare its students for the workforce.

"There's a need to expand entry-level opportunities in these companies," Roskop said. "They usually want to hire someone who has experience, so there's a need for our students to get real-world experience. We offer internships,apprenticeship program, we work with some of our Department of Defense contractors..."

Roskop emphasizes the importance of maintaining proper "cyber hygiene" to avoid becoming a target. His recommended practices include:

• Going password-less by using fingerprint or facial recognition to unlock websites
• Using different passwords for different accounts
• Signing up for password breach alerts
• Clearing cookies in your browser regularly
• Powering down cell phones and computers weekly

With October being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Roskop said it's the perfect time to evaluate personal digital security practices.

"I really love October, partially because of the weather and the leaves," he said. "But also it's a reminder: Every time you see those leaves change, check up on my own cyber hygiene."

This article was written by KOAA News5 Consumer Reporter Kierra Sam. Have a story? Send an email to Kierra.Sam@Koaa.com

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