Inside our IT bubble, leaders are aware of the cybersecurity skills shortage that plagues enterprises. As concerning as this challenge is, it may come as a surprise to the general public despite headlines over record ransoms, data leaks, and network breaches. Simply put, there are many more position openings than individuals available to fill them. This imbalance is creating a security gap that cybercriminals are taking advantage of.

Vying for experienced security professionals is highly competitive and costly for companies and organizations of all sizes. Unfortunately, expensive recruiting campaigns can leave under sourced companies, non-profits, and government organizations left in the cold against those with greater recruiting tools. And while larger corporations may have greater access to premier and efficient cyber talent, they often find themselves repeatedly competing for the same talent pool. Still, the beat goes on with the threat landscape growing more complex by the day.

CyberTrust Massachusetts

What IT leaders are looking for is a resource to address this critical security gap by cultivating new, diverse talent pools that leverage underutilized human capital. That is why WEI is proud to announce its partnership with CyberTrust Massachusetts, a nonprofit organization focused on building cybersecurity efforts across the commonwealth through hands-on training and education. The organization is aiming to address state-wide needs including:

• Inadequate security resources/practices: Organizations across Massachusetts are facing immense challenges to identify affordable resources to help them better defend against next-gen cyber threats and sustain modern cyber resiliency. This only heightens the need for businesses, non-profits, and local government to tap into a regional hub for meaningful cybersecurity development and support.
• Skills shortage: As we’ve recently touched on, there is a shortage of trained workers available to meet next-gen cybersecurity demands. According to CyberSeek, there are currently 20,000-plus cybersecurity job openings in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, communities of color and women are underrepresented in the cybersecurity workforce. This makes this cyber workforce shortage a unique opportunity for demographics that are frequently overlooked due to a lack of opportunity to obtain hands-on cybersecurity experience.

Cyber Range Offering

To combat the challenges bulleted above, MassCyberCenter has provided grants to Bridgewater State University and Springfield Technical Community College to support the establishment of SOC and Cyber Range facilities. Students gain much more than just textbook knowledge or virtual simulation training, as these facilities are designed to equip students with highly sought-after skills. These skills are partly learned through competitive cyber war gaming – an interactive exercise that places students in a simulated cyberattack environment. This includes real-life scenarios such as a data breach, discovery of sophisticated malware, and much more. Response from participating students has been overwhelmingly positive.

WEI’s Proud Participation

At WEI, we are aware of the challenges CyberTrust is taking on. With more than 20,000 cybersecurity job openings in Massachusetts, our experts have looked for ways to close the skills gap. Just as important, however, is CyberTrust’s mission to involve students of diverse populations and backgrounds, an endeavor that WEI has committed to with its new service, the This four-step training and mentoring process is specifically tailored to customer needs, roles, tools, and tech stack. It took no time for us to realize the values of CyberTrust Massachusetts connect with those of our own. Says WEI President Belisario Rosas:

“The CyberTrust mission directly correlates with the values of WEI as we focus on building a workforce representative of a diverse community, including people of all backgrounds who are passionate about solving complex problems.”

With a proven security team anchored by some of the top security professionals in the industry, WEI is looking forward to providing invaluable insights and knowledge to these promising students. Says WEI Cybersecurity GTM Leader Todd Humphreys:

“This program provides WEI with a unique opportunity to apply its cybersecurity expertise in ways that not only help fortify the regional security landscape but to also contribute to a sustainable pipeline of cyber talent that is critically lacking right now. We believe that the next generation of security leadership is already being educated at Massachusetts’ higher education institutions. WEI can’t wait to work with them.”

Through our involvement with CyberTrust, WEI aims to contribute to an expanded and more diverse workforce that not only benefits our cyber customers, but also helps enrich the northeast region. Whether you’re a student seeking a direct path into a cybersecurity career, a business in search of emerging talent, or a company with valuable resources and expertise to offer, we welcome you to join us in this remarkable initiative.

Next Steps: WEI provides enterprises with increased visibility at all touch points of the IT estate, and that includes at the edge and applications within the data center. How can we help your enterprise with its current and future cybersecurity architecture? Contact our experts today to get started.

The post Building A Stronger Cybersecurity Future: WEI Partners With CyberTrust Massachusetts appeared first on IT Solutions Provider - IT Consulting - Technology Solutions.

The care packages are both mailed overseas, and distributed in person at the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (formerly known as Pease International Airport) to members of the military as they depart on a deployment. When they return, the Pease Greeters are there to make sure everyone has someone to greet them at the gate.

At WEI’s “Thank Our Military” barbecue, employees and their families worked together in an act of community service to pack over 80 of these care packages. Fifty of them were snack boxes with non-perishables like trail mix, dried fruit, beef jerky, gum, and other treats. All snack items selected were ones that are easy to transport and tuck in a pocket – but won’t cause problems if lost or forgotten. The other packages consisted of personal care items like lip balm, deodorant, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, and sun screen. Children attending with their families also created beautiful handmade cards with messages of care and support.

After the care packages were completed volunteers were treated to a barbecue catered by local business The Chicken Connection, as well as a super hero photo booth put together by WEI, and face painting for all.

WEI’s Dedication To Community Service

WEI encourages community service and supports many charities. In previous years along with this summer, WEI has given back to the community in a variety of ways. In April 2019 WEI participated in where we had donated 9 pallets of food, consisting of 30,000 food items. These donations were delivered directly to the Salem High School drop-off by our very own WEI team, and the food supply had lasted the children from April vacation and is estimated to carry through the summer of 2019.

The Lazarus House Soup Kitchen is another successful community service partnership. WEI donated canned goods earlier this year, and also held a clothing drive for women, men, and children. Since this organization also helps adults prepare for jobs, we received a lot of business clothing to donate as well. Our most recent volunteer work was with Merrimack Valley’s Habitat for Humanity. Here, our team was able to build houses for those in need of one in the Lowell and Andover locations. WEI is committed to giving back to the community, and always seeking for ways to help and support others.

Proud To Partner With The Pease Greeters In Community Service

The began in May 2005 when an unannounced airplane with 135 Army troops on board landed at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease for refueling. The servicemen and women onboard were deploying to Iraq.

Airport Manager Bill Hopper and Maintenance Manager Alan Weston did not want the troops to spend their last moments before deployment alone so, armed with coffee and donuts, he brought all available airport employees to the terminal to greet them.

Today the Pease Greeters are made up of both military veterans and civilians dedicated to:

• Welcoming troops and bidding them a safe voyage during their travels with the Armed Forces
• Creating an environment within the Pease Trade Port that reflects the respect and high esteem in which Americans hold all of our nation’s veterans
• Encouraging the general public and promoting broad participation in the welcoming of heroes
• Educating school children about America’s Armed Forces by instilling respect and admiration for the troops through formal ceremonies and localized events
  

Donations Of Time And Items Are Still Needed

If you would like to sign up to be a Pease Greeter and meet our soldiers at the airport upon their return, you can find a registration link on the website or by .

Donations of items and time spent packing them up are also vital to the mission and can be dropped off at the New Hampshire addresses . Here are some of the most requested items:

Toiletries (Travel Size)

Lip balm

Wet wipes

Deodorant

Tylenol

Ibuprofen

Hand warmers

Shampoo/Conditioner

Toothbrushes/Toothpaste

Eye drops

Air fresheners

White socks (mid-calf)

Sanitary items

Mouthwash

Shave gel

Razors

Hand sanitizer

Bug wipes

Flip flops

Foot powder

Sun screen

Food Items (Individual Servings)

Cookies

Mixed nuts

Trail mix

Toaster pastries

Microwave popcorn

Peanut butter

Dried fruit

Granola bars

Drink mix (powder or drops)

Beef jerky

Gum

Coffee

Tea

Fun Activities

Deck of cards

Nerf balls

Small card games

Yo-Yo’s

Rubik’s cubes

Travel-size board games

Soccer balls

Footballs

Hacky sacks

Learn About Other WEI Community Service Projects

This project is a reflection of the values held by WEI and its employees. You can read more about our community service projects over the years by following this link or dive deeper into our mission at the WEI StepsUp page on our website.

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