Baltimore cyber firm offers free workforce development training

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Baltimore-based company BCR Cyber announced a new, experience-oriented program to train 1,100 Marylanders to meet the state’s cybersecurity needs. 

Fully funded by the Maryland Department of Labor, the program seeks to give valuable training to workers in the cybersecurity industry.  

Participants will engage in BCR Cyber’s Security Operations Center Operations Analyst Training and Certification. The entirely remote program will prepare participants with background experience for more advanced roles.  

“There is a tremendous need for qualified cybersecurity professionals in Maryland and around the country. Our program helps meet this need while also removing barriers and opening doors for Marylanders to high-demand careers in cybersecurity,” said Michael Spector, president and CEO of BCR Cyber. 

Participants must enroll through a participating Maryland community college and hold certain relevant certifications. Being available online will help reach a broader network of professionals, the company said. 

“Participants can complete the full program remotely, making it flexible and accessible for working adults, career changers, and students across Maryland,” Spector said.  

The program is 60 days long. The first phase consists of a 40-hour asynchronous module. Participants will then use BCR’s experiential range, in which they participate in simulated cyber-attacks, which vice president of strategic partnerships Kyle McColgan likened to a flight simulator. 

He also made clear that this program addresses the current demand for cybersecurity professionals in the workforce. 

“There are several thousand cyber jobs open in the state right now,” he said, and expects the number to grow by around 40% in the future. 

While community college students make up a large portion of the participants, all individuals that meet the experience requirements are eligible. The colleges help to recruit participants and use the experiential range in their academic courses. 

The program’s outcomes are driven by a consortium of employers that BCR works with, which includes Northrup Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Accenture. These companies analyze their needs, including the skill sets needed to protect against certain cyberattacks.  

The $1.8 million grant was jointly awarded to BCR Cyber and the Maryland Association of Community Colleges. The grant period will last for three years.

“Cyber ranges provide the hands-on experience that employers demand and workers seek,” said Maryland Department of Labor Secretary Portia Wu in a press release announcing the funds.

Gov. Wes Moore has made cybersecurity a priority and has used community colleges as a gateway for underrepresented groups to join the industry.

“Maryland’s pathway to national leadership in cybersecurity runs through our community colleges,” he said.