The cybersecurity industry spends plenty of time talking about the need to build the next generation of talent. CYBR.SEC.Careers is trying to turn that conversation into a pipeline.
The nonprofit arm of CYBR.SEC.Community is bringing together programs aimed at students and veterans at different points in their journey into cybersecurity — from a teenager getting a first look at the profession to someone who needs financial assistance, a certification or sustained mentorship to turn an interest in security into a career.
Sheridan Skurupey-McDonald, managing director of CYBR.SEC.Careers, described the organization’s role during the latest episode of CYBR.SEC.CAST as bridging the gap “from curiosity to career.”
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“CyberSec Careers' mission now is to build a strong, diverse workforce by providing career exposure, access to education and certifications, and mentorships for students and veterans pursuing careers in cybersecurity,” she said.
That mission grew from roots stretching back to the creation of HOU.SEC.CON in 2010.
CYBR.SEC.Community founder Michael Farnum said the conference began as a nonprofit effort before eventually becoming its own 501(c)(3). When the broader CYBR.SEC.Community organization was created, the nonprofit remained, eventually becoming CYBR.SEC.Careers with a new focus on cybersecurity workforce development rather than running events.
One early piece of that evolution was the Taylor Austin Broussard Memorial Scholarship, created in memory of Taylor Austin Broussard, who was pursuing a path into cybersecurity when he was killed in a car crash.
CYBR.SEC.Careers has since assembled several initiatives into a more deliberate workforce development pipeline.
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Cybersecurity exposure starts early
Youth SEC.CON is designed to introduce students to cybersecurity before they have necessarily decided that security — or even technology — is where they belong.
Students get access to colleges, cybersecurity professionals and people whose careers demonstrate that there is no single route into the industry. CYBR.SEC.Careers covers tickets and lunches and can help schools with transportation costs.
For Skurupey-McDonald, that access matters because some students may otherwise never get the opportunity to meet college recruiters or spend time talking directly with cybersecurity professionals.
“It's really just the biggest thing, in my opinion, that we do that shows, like, we care about the next generation of cybersecurity professionals,” she said.
Demand is already testing the program's capacity. Skurupey-McDonald said CYBR.SEC.Careers had to turn students away from Youth SEC.CON this year and hopes to expand the program.
Financial assistance is another part of the pipeline. CYBR.SEC.Careers has committed more than $20,000 in support through the Taylor Austin Broussard program this year, including a $10,000 fall scholarship cycle. Certification assistance is also part of the program.
Mentorship becomes a two-year commitment
The organization's mentorship program is designed to go beyond simply matching an aspiring security professional with someone already working in the industry.
Participants make a two-year commitment to the program, with four quarterly in-person opportunities for professional development and exposure. Programming includes areas such as resume development and upcoming sessions with HR professionals who can give participants a clearer view into hiring and career development.
“We don't have to know everything,” Skurupey-McDonald said. “We just have to be willing to facilitate people getting to know what's going on in hiring and the career field.”
That community component is central to the model.
James “JB” Bryant, co-chairman of CYBR.SEC.Careers and senior account manager at Access IT Group, illustrates why the organization emphasizes exposure to people with different backgrounds.
Bryant's path went from athletics to entrepreneurship and health and wellness before eventually leading him into cybersecurity. He recalled becoming hooked on the field after someone spent nearly two hours explaining cybersecurity to him through a football analogy — from the owner of the team all the way down to the person taking care of the field.
Today, Bryant sees his role in cybersecurity largely through the lens of community building.
“I'm not here to sell anything, but really here to grow a community,” Bryant said, “understand what those community leaders need, make sure they're heard, make sure they're seen.”
CYBR.SEC.Careers looks beyond Houston
The next phase is expansion. Much of CYBR.SEC.Careers' activity has centered on Houston, but Skurupey-McDonald said the organization is laying the groundwork for more activity in Dallas, Waco and elsewhere in Texas.
That expansion will depend heavily on cybersecurity professionals, volunteers, mentors, corporate partners and others willing to contribute expertise and resources.
Farnum said much of the organization's growth over the years happened through organic relationships. CYBR.SEC.Careers is now trying to make that effort more deliberate.
For Skurupey-McDonald, the opportunity comes from having an industry filled with people willing to share what they have learned.
“We are so fortunate because everyone that's in this field is so deeply passionate about it,” she said. “They just want to help.”
The challenge now is turning that willingness to help into a repeatable path for the people trying to enter the profession.
