The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has awarded a security grant of $1 million to CyberWarrior, a Boston-based cybersecurity skills training organization, to develop cyber workforce training programs. The award will focus on training the unemployed and underemployed, underserved communities in urban and rural areas including veterans, military spouses, women and people of color.

CISA and CyberWarrior will collaboratively develop a scalable and replicable concept to help address the staggering cybersecurity workforce shortage facing the country. The training aims to help the federal government; state, local, tribal and territorial entities; as well as private sector employers address current and future cyber workforce needs.

The bootcamp training program aims to:

• Increase diversity in the cybersecurity profession by training women, people of color and veterans
• Develop and implement a comprehensive cybersecurity pathways retention strategy
• Deliver entry-level cybersecurity training through training hubs
• Teach real-world, scenario-based learning
• Arm students with four globally recognized certifications
• Provide hands-on and professional development experience through apprenticeships
• Decrease the cybersecurity workforce shortage by placing talented individuals into entry-level cybersecurity jobs

Not only will the program help narrow the cybersecurity skills gap — there are an estimated 500,000 available jobs nationally — but it will also diversify the industry while pulling in talent from segments of the country not usually included — the un- and underemployed and underserved communities, among others.