'Game on:' ACM joins cybersecurity front lines
Students at Allegany College of Maryland will be able to gain valuable, hands-on experience in the digital cybersecurity world thanks to the installation of a state-of-the art cyber range on campus.
Known as the BCR Cyber Series 3000, the range places students directly into simulated cyberattacks and introduces concepts that are used in the real world on a daily basis.
A ribbon cutting for the range was held Wednesday morning on the school's Cumberland campus.
Through Maryland's Cyber Workforce Accelerator program, the Cyber Series 3000 can now be found at 16 community colleges across the state.
ACM's was partially funded by a $617,400 grant through the Senator George C. Edwards Fund.
In ACM's Technology Building, a makeshift secure operations center, was created to host the program's servers.
'A SOC is what a government, a business or a bank uses,' said BCR's Senior Vice President Chris Shank.
Students will complete 40 hours of asynchronous training and then complete an eight-hour, intensive simulation in the operations center.
'Our virtual architecture has a variety of the tools that current cybersecurity professionals use,' Shank said. 'They're going to be confronted with the type of thing that they might see in the private sector.'
According to Shank, students will be able to learn how to program firewalls and use a variety of vital computer programs that will serve as a guide for their careers in the future of information technology.
'They could see a ransomware attack, a website being defaced, any number of things that they are likely to see,' Shank said.
Even more important to Shank is the doors that the program will offer to students' futures in Western Maryland.
'It allows them to connect to skills that they could use elsewhere,' Shank said, 'and not have to leave Allegany County to do it.'
Since many jobs in the cybersecurity industry are remote, Shank said the program is more accessible to those who want to pursue a career in the field from the local region.
'This space you will see downstairs is for you,' ACM President David Jones told students at the event. 'To learn, to practice, to grow and to lead the community.'
James E. House, chair of the college's Computer Technology department, said industry partners from companies such as IBM will occasionally observe students as they face simulations on the cyber range.
'That, to me, is a great recruitment tool,' he said.
'With 30,000 jobs open (in cybersecurity), it's game on.'
House presented a live map of the more than 9 million cyberattacks that had occurred over the last 24 hours across the world.
'It's ongoing, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,' House said. 'It's a great way to visualize the importance of cybersecurity and specialists we need.'
According to House, a deficit in specialists in cybersecurity needs to be replenished. He said getting students on track to take on the challenge from Western Maryland is crucial.
To learn about getting a cybersecurity certificate from ACM, visit their website or go to https://catalog.allegany.edu/current/programs/comp-tech-cybersecurity-cert.html
To learn more about BCR Cyber and their training and development programs, visit their website or go to https://bcrcyber.com/
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