Program to boost cybersecurity jobs in Connecticut

Posted on February 4, 2018

A new training partnership is encouraging young women to seek cybersecurity jobs in Connecticut.

Connecticut is participating in an innovative, new cybersecurity training partnership with the SANS Institute that will increase access to young women in high school with the opportunity to explore their interests in cyber studies and learn basic cybersecurity skills in an effort to inspire the next generation of cybersecurity professionals while identifying talented youth.

The initiative, known as GirlsGoCyberStart, was initiated by SANS following the recent launch of their CyberStart program, which enabled 3,500 students in seven states to discover and demonstrate their aptitude for cybersecurity. Unfortunately, only five percent of the students who participated in its first round were young women. To help address this issue, SANS is launching a program specifically to attract young women in high school in ten additional states.

The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) and State Department of Education (SDE) will be collaborating with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut to encourage as many young women in grades 9 through 12 as possible to register and participate in this exceptional opportunity.

Participating students do not need prior cybersecurity knowledge or IT experience. All that is required is a computer and an internet connection. Young women in high school in Connecticut who excel in the GirlsGoCyberStart game will have the opportunity to win computers and other prizes as well as a trip, with a parent, to the 2018 Women in CyberSecurity Conference.

“Connecticut’s economy depends on our pipeline of talented, innovative, and technology-driven young people,” Governor Malloy said. “Cybersecurity is critical to our state and our nation, but far too often, young women get left out of this conversation, and never receive the access they deserve to participate in this growing industry. Thanks to this partnership with the SANS Institute, Connecticut’s high school women will have increased opportunity to learn and compete in this fast-paced field.”