As business leaders outside of IT continue accepting cybersecurity as a business strategy rather than just as a digital defense mechanism, there are still major vacancies in the cybersecurity personnel pipeline that require addressing. Knowing this, WEI’s advanced security solutions are complemented by a focus on helping replenish the talent pipeline. This commitment is confirmed by WEI’s partnership with CyberTrust Massachusetts, a non-profit organization working to cultivate a robust talent pipeline. The support CyberTrust receives from its higher education consortium members is paramount, especially with the all-new Cyber Range at Bridgewater State University (BSU) opening earlier this year.

Bridging The Cybersecurity Skills Gap

Fundamentally, our partnership with CyberTrust is built on the collective mission to train students to create a more diverse and qualified cybersecurity workforce. This correlates with an offering that debuted last year, The program, designed to train and develop individuals with the attitude and aptitude to learn solutions across the entire IT spectrum, is directly applicable to those learning within the Cyber Range.

The Technical Apprenticeship carries a 99% success rate in placing entry-level IT professionals into a full-time IT position, a metric WEI is very proud of. As companies starving for cybersecurity talent continue relying on heavily fished talent pools and lean on expensive third-party managed services, the apprenticeship avenue is growing in popularity. In this case, an individual gaining real-world experience as an intern at CyberTrust at the BSU Cyber Range can be eligible for the WEI apprenticeship program for meaningful job training and career development. The four-step process of the Technical Apprenticeship For Diverse Candidates is:

1. Identify Apprenticeship Plan Expectations: For the apprenticeship to succeed, WEI and the respective client will develop a custom role that is specific to the client’s existing tech stack. Once the expectations are identified and agreed upon, individuals from diverse backgrounds with the potential to excel in cybersecurity careers are then recruited. This initiative aims to tap into underutilized talent pools, fostering a more inclusive and well-rounded cybersecurity workforce.
2. Hire Apprentice: All apprenticeship candidates must complete a job suitability assessment and participate in client interviews to be eligible for hiring. While a candidate will not already possess the required entry level skills to be a full-time cybersecurity employee, their attitude and aptitude regarding cybersecurity is what drives the hiring decision. This is where WEI’s guidance to equip an apprentice with the essential technical skills comes into play.
3. Deliver Development Plan: WEI pairs trainees with experienced cybersecurity professionals who offer guidance, support, and career development opportunities. Mentors play a crucial role in shaping the trainees’ professional growth and ensuring a smooth transition into the workforce. Technical and soft skills are developed in this important stage, often lasting 12 months.
4. Transfer Apprentice To Full-time Employment: Upon successful completion of the program, the apprentice will be transferred to full-time employment under the client that the apprenticeship took place with. This commitment to job placement helps bridge the cybersecurity skills gap and strengthens the regional cybersecurity landscape. The client has no obligation to hire the apprentice, however.

BSU Cyber Range: Building the Future Cybersecurity Workforce

The state-of-the-art features a sophisticated network infrastructure that replicates real-world scenarios, allowing CyberTrust interns to utilize a next-gen security operations center (SOC). Here, students participate in simulated cyberattacks, test blue team/red team strategies, and hone their incident response skills within a controlled environment. This proves invaluable in preparing students for the challenges they will encounter in their professional careers.

The Cyber Range is not just a training ground for aspiring cybersecurity professionals, however. It also serves as a valuable resource for regional organizations. Businesses, government agencies, and non-profit institutions can leverage the Cyber Range to train their IT staff and security teams on the latest cyber threats and defense techniques. This collaborative approach fosters a more secure digital ecosystem for the entire region.

The creation of this facility serves as a catalyst for strengthening the regional cybersecurity landscape in several ways:

• Collaboration And Knowledge Sharing: The Cyber Range fosters collaboration between academia, industry, and government agencies. This exchange of knowledge and expertise is crucial for staying ahead of cyber threats and developing effective defense strategies.
• Building A Talent Pipeline: By providing students with the necessary training and experience, the Cyber Range helps to build a robust pipeline of cybersecurity talent in the region. This benefits local companies and organizations seeking to fill cybersecurity gaps within their workforce.
• Economic Development: A growing cybersecurity workforce creates a more attractive environment for businesses to attract new investors and customers. This, in turn, leads to a boost in regional economic activity and the creation of new jobs across various sectors.

Through CyberTrust Massachusetts and BSU, students and interns are gaining access to at a live SOC that monitors and safeguards the IT infrastructure of local governments, non-profit organizations, and small businesses. This immersive experience allows students to observe cybersecurity professionals in action, apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations, and gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of SOC operations.

By integrating advanced hands-on experience with classroom learning, BSU and CyberTrust are revolutionizing cybersecurity education, as the Cyber Range equips students with real-world skills and knowledge required for entry-level positions. These obtained skills and relationships will serve as the critical foundation for many young cyber professionals. Even more, BSU will be offering an in Fall 2024. WEI is proud to support this incredible ecosystem of education, training, and inclusivity.

Next steps: Jeff Cassidy, the Manager of Cyber Security Operations Center at CyberTrust Massachusetts, joins WEI Cybersecurity 疯情AV Architect Shawn Murphy for an exciting discussion about modern cybersecurity. Topics the two experts dissect include the modern SOC, incident response, and threat hunting. Listen to the WEI Tech Talk here:

The post Building The Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline With CyberTrust & The BSU Cyber Range appeared first on IT 疯情AV Provider - IT Consulting - Technology 疯情AV.

Inside our IT bubble, leaders are aware of the cybersecurity skills shortage that plagues enterprises. As concerning as this challenge is, it may come as a surprise to the general public despite headlines over record ransoms, data leaks, and network breaches. Simply put, there are many more position openings than individuals available to fill them. This imbalance is creating a security gap that cybercriminals are taking advantage of.

Vying for experienced security professionals is highly competitive and costly for companies and organizations of all sizes. Unfortunately, expensive recruiting campaigns can leave under sourced companies, non-profits, and government organizations left in the cold against those with greater recruiting tools. And while larger corporations may have greater access to premier and efficient cyber talent, they often find themselves repeatedly competing for the same talent pool. Still, the beat goes on with the threat landscape growing more complex by the day.

CyberTrust Massachusetts

What IT leaders are looking for is a resource to address this critical security gap by cultivating new, diverse talent pools that leverage underutilized human capital. That is why WEI is proud to announce its partnership with CyberTrust Massachusetts, a nonprofit organization focused on building cybersecurity efforts across the commonwealth through hands-on training and education. The organization is aiming to address state-wide needs including:

• Inadequate security resources/practices: Organizations across Massachusetts are facing immense challenges to identify affordable resources to help them better defend against next-gen cyber threats and sustain modern cyber resiliency. This only heightens the need for businesses, non-profits, and local government to tap into a regional hub for meaningful cybersecurity development and support.
• Skills shortage: As we’ve recently touched on, there is a shortage of trained workers available to meet next-gen cybersecurity demands. According to CyberSeek, there are currently 20,000-plus cybersecurity job openings in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, communities of color and women are underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce. This makes this cyber workforce shortage a unique opportunity for demographics that are frequently overlooked due to a lack of opportunity to obtain hands-on cybersecurity experience.

Cyber Range Offering

To combat the challenges bulleted above, MassCyberCenter has provided grants to Bridgewater State University and Springfield Technical Community College to support the establishment of SOC and Cyber Range facilities. Students gain much more than just textbook knowledge or virtual simulation training, as these facilities are designed to equip students with highly sought-after skills. These skills are partly learned through competitive cyber war gaming – an interactive exercise that places students in a simulated cyberattack environment. This includes real-life scenarios such as a data breach, discovery of sophisticated malware, and much more. Response from participating students has been overwhelmingly positive.

WEI’s Proud Participation

At WEI, we are aware of the challenges CyberTrust is taking on. With more than 20,000 cybersecurity job openings in Massachusetts, our experts have looked for ways to close the skills gap. Just as important, however, is CyberTrust’s mission to involve students of diverse populations and backgrounds, an endeavor that WEI has committed to with its new service, the This four-step training and mentoring process is specifically tailored to customer needs, roles, tools, and tech stack. It took no time for us to realize the values of CyberTrust Massachusetts connect with those of our own. Says WEI President Belisario Rosas:

“The CyberTrust mission directly correlates with the values of WEI as we focus on building a workforce representative of a diverse community, including people of all backgrounds who are passionate about solving complex problems.”

With a proven security team anchored by some of the top security professionals in the industry, WEI is looking forward to providing invaluable insights and knowledge to these promising students. Says WEI Cybersecurity GTM Leader Todd Humphreys:

“This program provides WEI with a unique opportunity to apply its cybersecurity expertise in ways that not only help fortify the regional security landscape but to also contribute to a sustainable pipeline of cyber talent that is critically lacking right now. We believe that the next generation of security leadership is already being educated at Massachusetts’ higher education institutions. WEI can’t wait to work with them.”

Through our involvement with CyberTrust, WEI aims to contribute to an expanded and more diverse workforce that not only benefits our cyber customers, but also helps enrich the northeast region. Whether you’re a student seeking a direct path into a cybersecurity career, a business in search of emerging talent, or a company with valuable resources and expertise to offer, we welcome you to join us in this remarkable initiative.

Next Steps: WEI provides enterprises with increased visibility at all touch points of the IT estate, and that includes at the edge and applications within the data center. How can we help your enterprise with its current and future cybersecurity architecture? Contact our experts today to get started.

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