Cybersecurity Workforce Alliance Newsletter: July 2023
State of Connecticut CyberHub Program Formally Launched
The Connecticut CyberHub (CT CyberHub) was formally launched on June 27, 2023, with a kick-off event at the University of Connecticut, Stamford campus. In attendance were over 80 people representing State Government, Corporations, and Academic institutions.
The Connecticut CyberHub is an educational initiative endorsed by Governor Ned Lamont, created to benefit the State by engaging with local community colleges, universities, technical schools, and Connecticut-based corporate sponsors.
iQ4 CWA 12-week immersive applied learning projects in Cybersecurity, Cloud, and Information Technology are offered to college students and are connected with employer mentors based on job requisition matching, enabled by the iQ4 digital cloud ecosystem. Employer mentors provide assessments and evaluations, hire the students when they complete the project, and demonstrate they can do the job set forth in the job requisition, which is the program's objective.
Projects are slated to start in mid-September and will run monthly.
Caroline Simmons, Mayor of Stamford, and Jeff Brown, Chief Information Security Officer, State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, presented on the cybersecurity landscape in the State. Terrence Cheng, President of Connecticut State Colleges and University Systems, presented on providing a pipeline of diverse talent to fill security jobs as well as moving the State forward in reaching its workforce diversity objectives, and Justin Orcutt, Aerospace and Commercial Defense Security, Microsoft, presented on working as an ecosystem in Connecticut to develop economic growth.
Interested in becoming a founding member of the Connecticut CyberHub? Click here.
New Business Partnership with Credential Engine
iQ4 Corporation and Credential Engine have entered a business partnership that will accelerate the use and advance the value of digital credentials (you can read the full press release here). The partnership will significantly benefit job seekers, educators, and employers. It will enhance the developing and adoption of digital credentials, changing how educators and employers think about learning and hiring. The underlying linked open data technology language is called the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL), which the iQ4 Achievement Wallet uses to translate credentials and degrees into workforce skills, enabling a skilled and diverse workforce to grow and thrive.
iQ4's Achievement Wallet helps learners and workers understand potential career pathways, especially those matched to employers' skills-based hiring needs, by enabling them to assemble and share their skills, education, experiences, training, credentials, and portfolio of work in one location, that is then translated into skills that employers are seeking. iQ4's Achievement Wallet supports multiple capabilities that make it easier for learners, educators, and employers to benefit from public CTDL credential information.
According to Deb Everhart, Chief Strategy Officer at Credential Engine, "Our collaboration with iQ4 Corporation marks an important step towards promoting the use of linked open data in the Credential Registry for understanding and applying the value of digital credentials. By leveraging the power of CTDL and the rich information it provides, digital credential holders directly benefit from the publishing activities of so many credential and skill providers. This partnership illustrates what's possible within a more transparent and connected ecosystem."
This partnership is a significant advancement in digital credentials, emphasizing the importance of open standard, transparent, linked data exchange for the benefit of all stakeholders.
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Click to connect with Norm on LinkedIn
Mentor of the Month: Norm Hill
Norm is an outstanding contributor to the CWA mentor program and has been engaged in CWA projects across a number of academic institutions over the past five years. His expertise in cyber risk and information security assessment has truly been leveraged in the projects he has participated in.
Thank you for giving back and changing the world, Norm!
Experience:
• Cyber/IT Risk Supervising Examiner, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
• Senior Risk Management Specialist, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
• Data Security Specialist, VCU Health
• Information Security Assessor, Capital One
Alumni of the Month: John Brandon Bowe
Click to connect with John on LinkedIn.
Brandon is an alumnus of iQ4's Threat Within course and is currently involved with the CWA mentor program. His expertise in military operations and cyber risk has been a big advantage in Brandon's current position.
Thank you for your outstanding work and participation, Brandon!
Current Job Title:
I work for SanCorp Consulting on a contract for the US Marine Corps Insider Threat Program. With my previous experience of training, I was placed and the Training and Education Specialist where my focus is the professionalization of the Insider Threat Hub Operations Analysts, ensuring the Insider Threat Program is known to all Marines and attached Sailors, and Civilians throughout the Marine Corps, and to ensure the Insider Threat Program meets all training requirements for the Marine Corps Training and Education Command that manages training for the entire Marine Corps.
CWA Course:
The Twelve Week Virtual Threat Within, funded by the DOL H1B Grant, administered by Clark University.
Role played:
Media Relations, Chief Information Officer, Cyber Analyst.
Input:
5 hours weekly in team and role-based immersive mentored learning on the iQ4 Academy Platform.
Results:
A CWA Industry Recognized Credential affirming the course equals 350 hours of Related Work Experience (RWE).
Secured a job: Within 12-Weeks
Job Title: Insider Threat Training; Education Specialist
Brandon increased his salary from $83K seven days a week, not knowing when he’d get home, to over $100K, and weekends off.
Did the course help you secure a job?
“Yes. I was recruited for the job because of my training background during military service, however, had I not attended the course, I wouldn't have met the minimum hiring requirements [Of having experience in cybersecurity and knowledge relating to the NIST Cybersecurity Risk Framework and how it is applied].
Do you still own big dogs?
I have 2 retired working dogs, that absolutely love their retirement life! I make sure they get plenty of exercise, toys to chew on, and live a relaxed life after working and serving in a law enforcement function. Stacey, my golden lab worked for 8 years as a bomb detection dog and Katrina, my Belgian Malinois worked as a Counter Active Shooter and Patrol Working Dog.