The Southern Maryland Chronicle
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) launched its participation in Maryland’s Cyber Workforce Accelerator (CWA) program with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 14 at its Leonardtown Campus. The initiative, established in 2024 by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) and BCR Cyber, equips all 16 Maryland community colleges with advanced cyber ranges to train students in IT and cybersecurity. CSM’s new cyber range, housed in the Barbara Ives Cyber Lab, will enhance its cybersecurity curriculum by providing hands-on, simulated cyberattack training.
The CWA program introduces students to the BCR Cyber Series 3000 Cyber Range, a system that replicates real-world cyber threats. CSM students can now access dedicated remote workstations at the Leonardtown Campus to engage in hyper-realistic exercises, such as defending against simulated denial-of-service attacks or securing web applications. This training environment allows students to apply classroom knowledge to practical scenarios, preparing them for high-demand cybersecurity careers.
“Last fall when Gov. Wes Moore announced the award of $1.8 million to BCR Cyber and the Maryland Association of Community Colleges to enhance Maryland’s cybersecurity talent pipeline by providing hands-on cyber range training at all 16 community colleges, we were immediately on board,” CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson said at the ceremony. “With a growing focus on cybersecurity, CSM remains committed to offering cutting-edge training in this high-demand field.”
CSM cybersecurity student Raymond Meja highlighted the program’s impact. “This cyber range offers us, as students, an invaluable hands-on experience. We get to dive into simulated cyber intrusions, this includes internal or external threat actors that may want to deface a website, showcasing the importance of web application security, or even demonstrates what a denial of service on a server may look like, highlighting the need for robust network defenses,” Meja said. He added, “It’s one thing to read about a denial-of-service attack; it’s another to actually see one unfold and learn how to respond.”
The ceremony featured video remarks from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen. Moore described the initiative as critical “to strengthen Maryland’s economy, to close the skills gap and to lead the nation in cybersecurity readiness.” Van Hollen emphasized his role in securing federal funding for the CWA, noting the need for “building a talented workforce to do this essential mission…if we want to defeat these threats, we need the talent to outsmart them.”
Maryland State Sen. Jack Bailey and Del. Edith Patterson attended the event, expressing pride in the program’s launch. “I see all the people in this room who work so diligently on cybersecurity and to be able to be part of it and to be able to have brought this to fruition, I am very proud to be standing here with you all,” Bailey said. Patterson added, “Please know that the members of the Southern Maryland Delegation … certainly appreciate the critical role that you’re playing in adhering to the goals of College of Southern Maryland.”
The event underscored the urgent demand for cybersecurity professionals. Dr. Dale Moore, president of the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, noted, “In the U.S., there is, on average, a cyber-attack of some form every 39 seconds, or over 2,200 per day.” He cited global cyber-related costs exceeding $10 trillion annually, projected to reach $23 trillion by 2027 [www.bcrcyber.com]. Ruthy Davis, workforce director of the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland, reported a 35 percent projected growth in U.S. information security analyst jobs from 2021 to 2031, with Southern Maryland expecting a 24 percent increase in cybersecurity job demand by 2035.
“The Cyber Workforce Accelerator program, with its cutting-edge cyber ranges, will be a game-changer for cybersecurity education in Maryland,” said Brad Phillips, Executive Director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. Michael Spector, President of BCR Cyber, added, “There is a significant need here in Maryland for skilled IT and cybersecurity professionals. Community colleges play a vital role not only in helping meet this need, but also helping to facilitate meaningful employment for jobseekers.”
Beyond academics, the CWA includes a Workforce Development component offering BCR Cyber’s SOC Operations Analyst I training and certification. This credential prepares students for entry-level Security Operations Center roles, aligning with federal and industry standards. BCR Cyber collaborates with over 40 industry partners to ensure training meets current cybersecurity needs.
CSM’s cybersecurity programs include an Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity and a certificate program, both supported by The Patuxent Partnership. The Barbara Ives Cyber Lab, one of two CSM cyber labs, enhances training capabilities at the Leonardtown Campus. The CWA program will also assist graduates in securing industry jobs, addressing Maryland’s critical cybersecurity workforce shortage.
