Jobs that protect computer networks from cyber attacks are some of the most in demand within the information technology sector, according to the University of Cincinnati. The MWE lists more than 10,000 cybersecurity-related jobs.
Since its founding in 2017, Halethorpe’s BCR Cyber has provided cybersecurity training and certification using technology gleaned after a trade mission to Israel. Cyber ranges offer a simulated environment to detect and mitigate cyber attacks without jeopardizing computer networks, says BCR Cyber President Michael Spector. The hands-on training is a benefit to prospective employers.
“On Day One, when they show up at their employer, they know what they’re doing,” Spector said of students who go through the program.
After raising $7.65 million in state and federal grants, the company unveiled its most significant project, developing 15 cyber ranges for the state’s 16 community colleges, known collectively as the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. Launched in April, the Maryland Cyber Workforce Accelerator Program aims to train and place 1,100 students within the next year, Spector said. Students will include those enrolled in the community colleges and others who want to beef up their IT skills, including laid-off federal workers. The training offers graduates an entry-level certificate as a security operations center analyst and the skills to prepare students for jobs in other cybersecurity fields, Spector said.
BCR Cyber works with a consortium of more than 40 employers — from small companies to large ones like Northrop Grumman and Accenture — that offer feedback on the training and tap the pool of trained students.
“There’s just not enough of a skilled supply that will keep up with the demand that is constantly growing,” Spector said.
