Major Companies Look to Fill the Cybersecurity Gap with New Initiative

It would seem that major players in the tech world are beginning to take notice of the extreme lack of cybersecurity specialists.

Mastercard, Microsoft, Workday and nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service, have announced today the launch of the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative.

The idea is to find the most talented individuals to fill the many cybersecurity positions open all over the country. The initiative also provides incentives for recent college graduates with degrees in corresponding majors (anything having to do with cybersecurity).

The Cybersecurity Talent Initiative will help to kickstart fledgeling careers, providing relevant training and support to those in the cybersecurity field. Beneficial to both public and private sectors, those who are selected for the initiative will receive a two-year assignment at a federal agency (working in a cybersecurity capacity). The participants will also be eligible for full-time employment with the private sector partners of the initiative. Upon getting hired, the participants will also receive $75000 in assistance for student loans.

“Cybersecurity is a critical issue facing our world today. It will take a true collaboration between the public and private sectors to get the right resources in place to address the threat,” said Ron Green, chief security officer, Mastercard. “We invite more corporations and government agencies to join us in this critical endeavor and give the best and brightest talent an opportunity to get a step up, enhance their skills and pave their own career paths.”

“It is critical for our government to attract and hire highly skilled workers capable of securing federal computer networks and building defenses against the thousands of cyberattacks that occur every year,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, the organization operating the new initiative. “The federal government has fallen more and more behind in the race for cyber talent, and this program will help get it back on track.”

The list of participating federal agencies is impressive, including the C.I.A., D.O.D., F.B.I., and the S.B.A. Cybersecurity has been on every tongue within the past few years. It’s good to see that companies are making a concerted effort to do something about it.

Find out more about the Cyber Talent Initiative here.