Turbulence in technology: cybersecurity student is learning alongside a growing field

KALAMAZOO, Mich.— Cybersecurity student Ben Karn grew up watching his dad, Jerry Karn, B.S.'97, a Western Michigan University alum with a degree in computer science, working as a programming consultant.  

“He was always around so I could glance over his shoulder to see what he was up to, and I found it fascinating,” says Karn. “Watching his work was very influential and he was also a great teacher.”  

When it came time to choose a path for his future career, Karn decided on cybersecurity at WMU. He’s always loved computers—much like his father, working on them has always been a hobby of his. 

He was drawn to the University by its variety of course offerings in his field. 

“The cybersecurity program offers a generous variety of courses and gives insight into many different subjects,” says Karn. “In my experience, it has helped students get a good idea of the area they like best.” 

The need for cybersecurity specialists is growing rapidly. With ever increasing security threats and cyber-attacks, Western’s job is to train the future leaders of the field, one student at a time. Karn recognizes the importance of his future career and is gearing up to address its continuously changing challenges.  

“I always enjoy learning something new,” says Karn. “And a great aspect of cybersecurity is that the field is constantly evolving.”  

According to Karn, the biggest hurdle in the cybersecurity field is time. The real-world impacts of cybersecurity threats do not slow down as the field progresses—in fact, threats only become bigger as technology develops.  

“New concepts seem very abstract when you don't already have a clear understanding of the fundamentals,” says Karn. “Everyone new to the field must quickly scramble to establish a concrete foundation of what’s going on ‘under the hood,’ while simultaneously learning industry-standard techniques to protect modern infrastructure.” 

Cybersecurity has delivered a promising future for Karn. He has already begun creating his real-world footprint via an internship with Lear Corporation in Southfield, Mich. He is on their Security Architecture and Engineering team, where his work is tailored towards creating and designing solutions to meet business needs.  

His architecture and engineering projects, such as an end-to-end security tool inventory to provide real-time analytics surrounding Lear's security posture, have his interest at heart. He hopes to stay in a similar vein for his rapidly approaching career.  

“Throughout the next five years, I hope to continue my work at Lear,” says Karn. “Ideally in the same concentration: architecture and engineering.”  

For information about cybersecurity programs at WMU, visit the cybersecurity program website.

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