Can Cybersecurity Boot Camps Fill the Workforce Gap? (CS Monitor)
Boot camps aren’t just for software development anymore.
With the US cybersecurity workforce facing severe shortages and data breaches surging, new groups are cropping up to respond with initiatives to quench the exploding demand for digital talent.
Denver-based startup SecureSet Academy is just the latest organization to use a boot camp-style teaching model to quickly prep jobseekers for careers fighting off digital attacks. The academy has graduated 16 aspiring ‘white hat’ hackers since its launch last February, placing all of them in roles as security engineers, penetration testers and consultants with local firms. And now, another 17 graduates are about to join their ranks.
“We need to recognize the rise of a “no-collar” work force in this domain, and realize that we can effectively field this force quickly,” says Adam Sheffield, director of SecureSet Academy’s new Tampa campus. “We need to start looking outside existing silos and build accelerated pathways that address the needs of students seeking entry into the field.”