By Bethany Narvaez
Cybersecurity is a viable career path, and NW’s new club, CyberDefenders, is dedicated to equipping students with the skills and experience necessary to obtain entry-level information technology jobs.
“There is a dire need for cybersecurity workers that the government and everyone else recognizes,” said computer science associate professor John Kidd.
The club participates in a competition sponsored by the National Cyber League, which allows students to apply their IT knowledge while competing for scholarships against students from other colleges.
The contest allows students to practice with technology programs that would be too expensive to buy for personal use or that schools could not afford, club officer Allen Crowley said.
In competition, funded by various sources including government grants, students can practice and compete in a virtual environment with low stress and little risk.
Registration for the contest begins Feb. 25, and the competition begins April 4.
CyberDefenders’ mission is to give students experience that would attract a potential employer.
“The end result is not to be claimed a ‘champion,’” Kidd said. “The result is to produce the scouting report you can hand to employers in a job interview so they can rate you on a national, valid scale.”
A scouting report ranks a competitor’s skills against a national standard within multiple regions and tiers.
All students, even those not going into IT career fields, can benefit from learning about cybersecurity both for personal and professional use, Crowley said.
Students interested in being a part of the club can sign up through their myTCC account under the link “organizations” or by contacting Kidd at john.kidd@tccd.edu or Crowley at allen.crowley114692@my.tccd.edu.
