United States Senator Bob Bennett Visits DSC Campus to Discuss Funding for New Computer Crime Institute

















Dixie State College of Utah welcomed United States Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) to campus this past Jan. 13, to discuss the creation of a new Southwest Regional Criminal Justice Computer Crime Institute at DSC with school administrators and faculty, along with a number of area law enforcement officials.

Senator Bennett championed the effort by securing $1 million in federal grant monies for the Institute, which will be used to train students, police, prosecutors, business leaders and the public on identity theft prevention, computer crime prevention, detection and investigation. The program aims to reduce the devastating economic impact cyber crime is having on our economy by educating government employees and businesses.

“I am happy that I was able to do something in this area. I have long been interested in the changes that are occurring in crime, with respect to computers,” Senator Bennett said. “Cyber crime, cyber attacks – the more I get into it at the federal level, the clearer it is that this is international crime on a very big scale, stealing by computers.

“There is a crying need in the economy for people who are trained to deal in this arena. To be able to have the cooperation with law enforcement on the local level and learn that aspect of [cyber crime] is really exciting,” Senator Bennett added. “[This program] gives Dixie a niche that no one else in the state has. This is a growth industry, you don’t want to think of law enforcement as a growth industry, but it really is.”

According to DSC Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Scott Julian, the concept of the Southwest Regional Criminal Justice Computer Crime Institute will make Dixie State College one of the first institutions of higher education in the country that will introduce cutting edge computer-based forensics training to law enforcement professionals, private industry professionals and students.
 
“Dixie State will be one of six institutions in the United States where law enforcement will be working on cases with students,” Julian said. “The latest techniques in computer forensics and the latest technology will be taught here on campus in a joint effort with law enforcement and students. The highest quality of students in computer forensics will come out of Dixie State College.”

The institute, which will be overseen by DSC, will enable criminal justice students to gain experience in the investigation and prevention of computer crime, including in areas such as ID theft, internet crimes against children, online child pornography and fraud. Julian noted that these issues have become a contemporary challenge for business and public safety agencies throughout the southwest.

Julian went on to say that in addition to the opportunities in training, the Institute can be expected to produce numerous dividends for Utah’s economy, including job creation in spin-off industries, such as cyber security analysis, software development and electronic discovery and consulting.

“We are grateful for the opportunity [Senator Bennett] has given Dixie State College and the State of Utah to train not only police, but students, in computer forensics,” said Julian. “This opportunity and the technology that will come from the center will not only train the law enforcement and the students, but will bring jobs to the area.”