Science & Technology

UWF Center for Cybersecurity launches Cybersecurity for All program to enhance workforce development

The University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity is launching the Cybersecurity for All® program, an innovative program to enhance readiness for evolving cybersecurity work roles and address the critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Courses and advanced certificates will be available for organizations and individuals starting in September.

Local professionals learning about cybersecurity concepts and ethics at the Center for Cybersecurity in downtown Pensacola

Cybersecurity job openings top 13,000 in Florida and exceed 300,000 nationally according to Cyberseek.org. Cybersecurity Ventures, a provider of data and analytics for the industry, projects the global shortage of professionals to reach 3.5 million by 2021.

“Cybersecurity is everyone’s business. The critical shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals is a global crisis,” said Dr. Eman El-Sheikh, director of the UWF Center for Cybersecurity. “The Cybersecurity for All® program is a game changer. The program will transform our ability to prepare individuals and organizations for evolving cybersecurity work roles. Through accelerated and flexible pathways that integrate best practices in education with competency-based hands-on skills development, Cybersecurity for All® will fundamentally expand the number of qualified cybersecurity professionals.”

The UWF Center for Cybersecurity will host a reception and information session for the program from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at the Center’s new state-of-the-art facilities, located at 220 W. Garden St., Suite 250, in downtown Pensacola.

The available courses and certificates include cybersecurity fundamentals, network defense, risk management, cloud security, incident response, CompTIA Security+, malware analysis, system administration and scripting, and industrial control systems and SCADA security. The majority of the courses will be offered face-to-face at the UWF Center for Cybersecurity facility in the Studer Community Institute Building. The remaining courses and certificates will be delivered online. UWF Center for Cybersecurity faculty and staff will provide years of academic and industry experience in teaching the courses.

The UWF Center for Cybersecurity developed the Cybersecurity for All® program to provide accelerated, flexible education and training pathways for individuals and organizations of all sizes and across sectors, including government, defense and the private sector.

To learn more about the Cybersecurity for All® program or to register for courses, visit uwf.edu/cyberforall.