The Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) has announced the launch of three online graduate programs designed to prepare learners for the demands of an evolving digital world.
In partnership with education technology company Risepoint, these programs are designed to equip professionals with the skills necessary to secure industries, communities, and critical infrastructure.
These new cybersecurity programs complement earlier online graduate offerings from Illinois Tech, expanding the university’s portfolio of flexible, career-focused degrees.
The latest offerings include a Master of Applied Science in Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Management, and Computer Engineering.
These programs are designed for working professionals who need to balance their careers, families, and other life commitments, and they provide the flexibility of 100% online study without compromising the rigor and focus that characterize an Illinois Tech education.
Additionally, the National Cybersecurity Alliance and CybSafe have released "Oh Behave! The Annual Cybersecurity Attitudes and Behaviors Report 2025-2026."
This report surveys over 6,500 individuals from the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and other countries, examining key cybersecurity behaviors and attitudes, as well as the increasing impact of artificial intelligence.
The survey reveals a turning point in digital life: AI tool usage has surged by 21%, with 65% of respondents now utilizing AI. The most widely adopted AI tool is ChatGPT, used by 77% of respondents, followed by Gemini at 49% and Copilot at 26%.
Despite this increase, 58% of users reported having received no training on security or privacy risks associated with these technologies.
Alarmingly, 43% admitted to sharing workplace information with AI tools without their employer's knowledge, including internal documents (50%), financial data (42%), and client information (44%).
Simultaneously, cybercrime victimization, including crypto scams, phishing attacks, identity theft, tech support scams, and online dating scams, has sharply increased.
Forty-four percent of respondents reported experiencing cybercrime that resulted in data or monetary loss, representing a 9% increase from the prior year. Younger generations have been disproportionately affected, with 59% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials reporting losses from scams, which encompassed various types, including phishing and cryptocurrency scams.
More than half of the participants (55%) reported having no access to cybersecurity training, a figure that has remained unchanged since last year.
Among those with access, only 32% reported utilizing it. Of those who did use the training, 47% credited it with improving their ability to recognize phishing attempts. In comparison, 42% said it encouraged them to adopt multi-factor authentication, and 40% opted for stronger passwords.
Just 62% of respondents report regularly creating unique passwords, a decline from the previous year, and 41% do not use a password manager. While 77% recognize the importance of multi-factor authentication, less than half (41%) use it regularly.
Software updates show slightly better engagement, with 56% of participants updating their software frequently, though fewer than half (47%) consistently back up essential data. These gaps highlight persistent vulnerabilities in even the most basic security measures.
Overall, approximately two-thirds of participants (66%) feel confident in their ability to identify a malicious email or link; however, confidence levels vary widely by age and geography.
Millennials are the most confident (72%), followed by Gen Z (66%), while Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation lag significantly behind.
Despite the rising confidence, fewer than half of respondents regularly report phishing attempts, which limits the broader impact of individual vigilance.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) express concern about AI-related cybercrime, particularly regarding impersonation and scam evasion. Sixty-five percent believe AI will make it easier for criminals to impersonate others, while 67% worry it will become harder to distinguish between real and fake information. More than half (54%) think AI will make scams harder to detect overall, with 44% anticipating potential changes to their employment status as the technology becomes more integrated into daily life.