CISA awards $ 2 million in cybersecurity programs for rural and diverse communities

CISA has announcement $ 2 million prizes to two organizations forming underserved communities in cybersecurity.

The funding will go to NPower and CyberWarrior, two programs helping to train veterans, military spouses, women and people of color for cybersecurity positions. These are the first prizes of their kind awarded by the CISA.

CISA director Jen Easterly said that to address the IT workforce shortage, the agency must proactively seek, find and nurture potential talent in non-traditional locations.

“CISA is dedicated to recruiting and training people from all walks of life and from all walks of life with the right skills and attitude to be successful in this exciting field,” said Easterly. “It’s not just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do – for the mission and the country. the problem.”

The organizations target communities with high unemployment rates as well as those that are underemployed and underserved in rural and urban areas.

CISA explained that it seeks to support programs that benefit communities and populations who may not have access to training programs focused on cybersecurity.

CISA, CyberWarrior and NPower will work with them to “develop scalable and repeatable proof of concept to identify and successfully train talented individuals across the country.”

They noted that the effort will help address the “staggering” shortage of cybersecurity talent facing the country.

“CyberWarrior is honored to participate in the Cybersecurity Training and Workforce Development Pilot Project for Under-Served Communities,” said Reinier Moquete, Founder of the CyberWarrior Foundation.

“In collaboration with CISA and other stakeholders, our 28-week boot camp program will train people from underserved populations for careers in cybersecurity. We encourage prospective students, employers and stakeholders to join us and create opportunities for these people. “

According to CISA, the three-year program aims to establish a strategy of retention of cybersecurity lanes while providing basic cybersecurity training and hands-on professional development experience through apprenticeships.

Bertina Ceccarelli, CEO of NPower, said her organization’s cybersecurity program offers young adults and veterans the opportunity to advance their careers and deepen their specialties.

“This is particularly important for people from under-represented communities who consistently do not have access to these specialized skills,” said Ceccarelli. “We are honored for the support from CISA, which will allow NPower to extend our reach to interns across the country.”

The award is part of a larger effort by CISA and other agencies to diversify the cybersecurity industry. Friday, East, NSA Cyber ​​Security Director Rob joyce and CEO of the Institute for Security and Technology Philippe Reiner handed their Twitter accounts to three black women, who spoke about their experiences in the tech industry while urging other women of color to join us.

CISA has also created a CYBER.org initiative and an e-education and training assistance program to promote cybersecurity among young people.