PAL students explore career fields in cyber security, intelligence at Mercyhurst

Not everyone who aspires to a career in law enforcement is comfortable being a cop.

Many other jobs can be equally challenging and rewarding, like being a cybercrime investigator, digital forensic examiner, or intelligence analyst. These types of careers will be explored by 20 middle and high school students at Mercyhurst University on Wednesday, July 19, when the Police Athletic League (PAL), headed by Erie Police Lt. Tom Lenox, visits the Ridge College of Intelligence Studies & Applied Sciences.

This marks the second week of PAL’s annual summer camp. Last week, students visited the Mercyhurst Municipal Police Training Academy in North East, where they gained insights into training basics and experienced the Virtual Reality Training Simulator, through which they encountered possible real-life crime scenarios firsthand.

“We want the students to learn about other possible career routes in the law enforcement/national security field,” said Erie Police Department Intelligence Analyst and Mercyhurst alumnus Zach Martin ’21, who helped coordinate the visit. “The idea is to inform the students of the importance that cyber security and intelligence is to the mission set.”

Students will hear from Lindy Smart, executive director of the Department of Intelligence Studies, Dr. Chris Mansour, chair of the Department of Computing and Information Science and founder of Mercyhurst’s Cyber Security program, and Brian Fuller, Ridge College operations director.

“Intelligence, as an academic program and field of study, seems to be mysterious or unheard of,” said Smart. “I’m going to share opportunities in the field that are related to law enforcement/investigative in nature and walk through an example of ‘putting the pieces together’ to help law enforcement find a serial burglar.”

“I am going to discuss how cyber security aids law enforcement through crime prevention and detection and highlight how identifying potential threats and malicious activities can help safeguard critical infrastructure against cyberattacks,” Mansour said.

Students will also view operations of the Center for Intelligence Research, Analysis, and Training (CIRAT), housed in the Federal Resources Corp. Cyber Education Center at Mercyhurst University. CIRAT, headed by Brian Fuller, develops opportunities with business and government entities through contracts, grants, and academic partnerships to provide students with real-life career experiences.

PHOTO: PAL students visit the Mercyhurst Police Academy.