University of Advancing Technology's Official Technology Blog

Provost and longtime professor at University of Advancing Technology (UAT), David Bolman, is moderating a Phoenix Business Journal forum that will be discussing the state of cybersecurity and the rise of the tech community in Arizona.

“Arizona will grow based on its strength in technology,” said Bolman. “Phoenix has a tech community on the rise. This is confirmed from all sides: Bureau of Labor, CompTIA, PEW research, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, PBJ, the media, etc.”

Bolman is correct. According to an annual report by the CBRE, Phoenix was ranked 15^th in the country for tech talent in 2018 and expected to continue to grow. The biggest reason for the talent and growing tech community is due to education opportunities and organizations recruiting talent from outside of Arizona.

“UAT’s student body is primarily from out of state, almost 75% of our students come from all over the country – even international,” Bolman said.

However, with the increase in tech talent and growing businesses in the Valley also brings the need for increased digital security. That demand is not just in Arizona either, it's a growing demand that is beginning to look more like an epidemic than a job opening. 

According to Bolman, “There is an important assumption to all of this: Organizations and individuals have to trust that their information, IP and transactions are secure from digital criminals. These PBJ forums play an important educational role for small businesses, the largest segment in Ariz., by giving them access to current information about the state of cyber security.”

“A reality that takes many small businesses and individuals by surprise is that everyone, big or small, need to address digital security as a necessity,” Bolman said. “Essentially every medium to large company has a dedicated IT team that is focusing on network security. But for smaller businesses, especially those not involved in tech, defending against digital theft and ransom is a scary unknown. By convening experts to discuss trends and impact, the PBJ is providing companies information and tools that help them make good decisions, keep their businesses and customers safe, and focus on their products.”

UAT has been offering Network Security degrees and certificates for over 15 years. With its private campus in Tempe just across the street from Fry’s Electronics, the university has also added cybersecurity graduate programs in recent years.

“Our Cyber and Network Security programs have been growing year over year,” said Valerie Cimarossa, Vice President of UAT. “The demand for individuals with these skills and degrees in this field greatly out numbers the current talent pool across the country – if not the world. Our graduates leave UAT with the best knowledge and network security skills to give them more than enough experience to get hired right away.”

About University of Advancing Technology

UAT is an elite intimate private college in Tempe, AZ focused on educating students in advancing technology who desire to innovate in the areas of emerging technology disciplines including Advancing Computer Science, Information Security, Game and New Media technologies. 

Living on campus, students are surrounded in a true living learning technology environment that incubates their ideas into innovations that students can patent and take to market.Students must create an innovation project to graduate.

About Dr. David Bolman

During Provost Bolman’s three decades at UAT, the university has grown from a single classroom of 13 students into a destination private college campus dedicated to advancing society through the wise use of technology. Provost Bolman has written and been a featured speaker on the nature of technology as a foundational human force. He is an alumni of and past President to the Board of Valley Leadership, is chairing Valley Leadership’s Leadership Institute, is a member of New Schools for Phoenix Fellows and an alumni of the FBI Citizen’s Academy.