Survey analysis of computer science, food science, and cybersecurity skills and coursework of undergraduate and graduate students interested in food safety

Automation is coming and will enable not only the ability to increase poultry processing line speeds, but also the collection of considerable “big data.” These data can be collected en masse, stored, analyzed, and used to improve food safety, quality, enhance traceability, and also be used for risk assessment. However, as this technology is implemented in the poultry industry, computer hackers will emerge to pose a clear and present danger to the poultry industry and the upcoming generation of professionals must be equipped with the knowledge to protect sensitive data. The objective of this study was to quantitate the current computer science (CS) competency, food science exposure and extracurricular activities, and familiarity with cybersecurity topics of students in food science and related fields. Students ranked their CS abilities, 1 through 5, with 1 being the lowest level of competence and 5 representing the highest level of confidence. To assess their knowledge of food safety-related sciences, participants were asked about their familiarity with the respective fields. The average student was familiar with common avenues of food safety exposure, such as television and the Internet. Students were less familiar with more advanced, and arguably important topics, such as botnet. Finally, the students ranked their familiarity with cybersecurity topics, 1 through 5, with 1 representing being not familiar at all and 5 representing extremely familiar. Therefore, to meet the future technological demands, specific course-work is required to improve prospective student CS and cybersecurity competency.