Cyber attacks. Hacking. Ransomware. Spear phishing. Cryptojacking. The cybersecurity field has no shortage of “excitement.” With the increase in cyber attacks and data breaches across the country, cybersecurity continues to be one of today’s hottest technology careers. Given this need, companies are willing to pay well for cybersecurity skills, with salaries growing nearly as fast as data breaches. With demand out-pacing talent, there is a critical shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals. Oregon alone has more than 3,000 unfilled openings for jobs in cybersecurity with approximately 285 thousand unfilled cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. TechRepublic notes that this field is expected to reach 1.8 million jobs by 2022.

One of the problems is a lack of awareness of the cybersecurity field and how to go about getting into it. A recent survey found that only nine percent of millennials are interested in cybersecurity, while another survey found that nearly 70 percent of millennials had never taken a security class in school. More youth need to find an interest in technology and get into technology careers. That’s where NW Cyber Camp comes in.

Training the next generation of tech experts

NW Cyber Camp is a week-long cybersecurity summer camp for high school students that will take place Monday, July 16 through Friday, July 20, at Central Oregon Community College, 2600 NW College Way, in Bend. The camp is designed to spark students’ interest in cybersecurity and encourage them to pursue in-demand, high-paying jobs in cybersecurity and technology. The goals of the camp are to give students hands-on, introductory experience to cybersecurity techniques, help students gain confidence and learn valuable skills, and prepare them for a future tech career.

“Collectively, we need to start training the next generation of cybersecurity experts. It begins with support and immersive learning experiences to get students excited and empowered about technology,” said Charlie Kawasaki, chief technical officer at PacStar and co-founder of NW Cyber Camp.

Students who are interested in learning more about cybersecurity and the many exciting career opportunities in this growing field should apply early before the camps fill up. The camp fee is normally $250. Students who apply to the Bend camp by Sunday, June 10 will receive a $125 discount. Financial aid is also available.

NW Cyber Camps are taught by leading industry professionals and cybersecurity educators. Guest speakers and instructors from industry-leading companies such as IBM, HP, Inc., Splunk, McAfee, Iovation, Cylance, and Bend-based Redhawk Network Security — among other companies — will be discussing the latest cybersecurity issues with students as well as sharing insights learned during their own careers in cybersecurity.

Tyler Hardison, chief technology officer at Redhawk Network Security, says he’s looking forward to being an instructor at the camp in Bend. “This is a great camp that teaches very valuable skills that are in high demand in a hot, growing field. We’ll be giving these students a chance to see if they’d like to pursue an internship in cybersecurity and if cybersecurity is a career choice that they want to get into.”

Another guest instructor from Redhawk Network Security is Toni Overton, who is an implementation officer at the company. “Teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and encouraging young women at an early age that there is room for them in technology is powerful. Whether in coding, testing, designing, or organizing, there is room for everyone, with every skill. We want to teach these students that they can do anything, that there is room for them. It’s about offering encouragement and positive support.”

NW Cyber Camp 2018 is made possible by several leading companies, including Title Sponsor PacStar. Additional sponsors include Platinum Sponsors Aruba, Facebook, Galois, HP, IBM, Iovation, McAfee, Mentor, Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation, and PKI Solutions; and Gold Sponsors Cylance, NuScale Power, Privacy Orchards and Splunk.

For more information about NW Cyber Camp and to apply, please visit www.nwcyber.camp.