Cybersecurity now shapes decisions well beyond the technology sector, as artificial intelligence introduces new risks for governments, businesses and institutions. “Cybersecurity in the AI Era,” an online specialization created by School of Public Policy Associate Research Professor Charles Harry, has enrolled more than half a million learners on Coursera, setting a record for the University of Maryland and placing it in the top 1% of all offerings on its global platform alongside programs from Google and IBM.
The specialization brings together cybersecurity professionals, engineers, policy leaders, managers and other decision-makers, with content designed for both technical and nontechnical audiences. Rather than framing cybersecurity as a narrow technical problem, the courses emphasize cybersecurity as a strategic risk that shapes how governments, institutions and organizations operate and deliver essential services.
That perspective comes from Harry’s professional experience in cybersecurity and policy. He spent 14 years advising senior policymakers and working on national-level cyber issues before joining the School, including serving as a senior technical leader at the National Security Agency. At the School, he now directs the Center for Governance of Technology and Systems, where his work focuses on how organizations and governments assess and manage cyber risk in practice. The School also offers a broader portfolio of undergraduate and graduate coursework focused on cybersecurity.
Harry's experience carries through the design of the specialization, which is structured as a three-course sequence that evolves alongside the cybersecurity field. The first course, “Cybersecurity for Everyone,” introduces learners to the foundations of cyber risk, governance and policy, with an emphasis on accessibility for those without technical backgrounds. The second course, “A Strategic Approach to Cybersecurity,” focuses on how leaders navigate cybersecurity decisions across interconnected public and private systems. The final course, “Cybersecurity Risk Management Across Critical Systems,” applies these concepts to real-world infrastructure, institutional resilience and enterprise-level risk management.
An applied learning project runs throughout the series, challenging learners to analyze realistic attack scenarios and develop recommended responses to specific threat actors. The project mirrors professional practice and focuses on how technical considerations, organizational constraints and policy choices intersect during cybersecurity incidents.
The reach of “Cybersecurity in the AI Era” highlights how central cybersecurity has become across technology, policy and organizational decision-making. For the University of Maryland, the specialization’s success reinforces its reputation as a leader in cybersecurity governance and policy education. For learners around the world, it offers a practical and accessible way to engage with challenges shaping the AI era.
