Natalie Missakian

When UConn cut the ribbon last month on its new $1-million cybersecurity lab, it joined a growing number of Connecticut schools launching new or beefed-up programs to teach students how to fight hackers and keep sensitive data safe.

Connecticut employers in need of young talent are welcoming recent graduates with open arms.

With automation and artificial intelligence taking over more of the routine and time-consuming work in the accounting world these days, the role of the professional accountant is slowly shifting from number-cruncher to business advisor.

Businesses in Connecticut and around the country face a shortage of qualified workers as they try to build their defenses against malicious hackers and cyber attacks.  Ibrahim (Abe) Baggili, the Elder family endowed chair of computer science and cybersecurity at the University of New Haven, is on a mission to fill that talent gap.