Promoting cyber security careers and skills for Minnesota students through competitions, education and outreach

Get involved   Member Benefits   2011 Projects   Organizing Members

Background and Purpose

Cyber security represents one of the most exciting, challenging and financially rewarding careers available to young people today, and one of the greatest challenges for employers in need of those skills.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics projects there will be over 155,000 job openings for individuals with these important skills between now and 2018; the 2^nd fastest job growth rate in the United States.

But how do we help students develop the level of awareness, interest and preparation needed to pursue this opportunity and fill urgently needed roles in our companies, law enforcement agencies and national defense organizations?

According to a 2010 report compiled by Deloitte, the leading approach is to provide opportunities that engage students with career-related activities, and in particular gaming in all of its forms has proven to be particularly effective!

And that’s a primary strategy of a new industry-education partnership now forming in Minnesota through the leadership of Wells Fargo and Advance IT Minnesota.  The Consortium is looking to work with leaders from other companies and agencies who want to build upon an already strong security community in Minnesota by increasing the cyber security talent pool in Minnesota and beyond.  A modest investment of time and dollars can make a big difference for Minnesota students in high school and college, and have a positive impact on the future of our organizations and economy.

How to get involved

1. Become a participating member by signing up at the online registration site.  There is no fee to become a participating member.

2. Attend one of our organizational meeting at Wells Fargo.

3. Become a contributing organizational member to help provide the financial resources necessary to support competitions and outreach efforts in Minnesota. More information about this will be provided at the next meeting and in subsequent communications.

Member Benefits

Public Visibility: All companies who commit to a 2011 membership amount will be recognized on our initial Website, the competition Websites, on all printed materials associated with the competitions, press releases, t-shirts, signage at the competitions, and other venues that may become available.  We expect that the Consortium will attract some media attention due to the nature of our mission and because the Minnesota Consortium is the first of its kind organized for the important purpose of promoting interest and skill development in our next generation of cyber security professionals.

Access to Next Generation Talent: We plan to create opportunities for interaction between member companies and competitors, who are typically the “best and brightest” among those interested in cyber security careers.  Through involvement in competitions, career presentations, company visits, conference participation, opt-in recruiting lists, and other tactics that create awareness and communication pathways.

Promote a more robust cyber security workforce:  Through competitions, symposiums, and other avenues to influence curriculum and promote career awareness, we can help improve the quality and quantity of future employees.

2011 Initial Projects of the Consortium

Our initial approach is to help sponsor and promote participation of Minnesota students in nationally recognized competitions with a proven record of success.  The following three competitions, two for college students and one for high school students, have been adopted for the 2011 agenda.  The first competition is the only one previously offered in the state; with the 5th annual collegiate competition scheduled for March 5.  Numbers two and three, both developed by SANS and administered by the Center for Internet Security, will be offered in the state for the first time.  We are excited to work with our many partners to successfully launch these efforts in Minnesota.  In fact, as of February 1, we already have over a dozen Minnesota High Schools on board for Cyber Foundations! 

1. 1. The 2011 Minnesota Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, March 5, 2011, was held concurrently in Minneapolis and Alexandria. 
2. 2.  The 2011 Cyber Foundations competition for high school students from March through April 2011. 
3.  3. The SANS Treasure Hunt (April 2011)  and Bootcamp (July 201).  Treasure Hunt is an online activity run for about four weeks, the 5-day Bootcamp will be held a state university campus, most likely Mankato or St Cloud. 

Organizing Members

The following companies and agencies have participated in initial organizing efforts.  They invite other Minnesota companies to participate in the next steps of organizing and funding this important effort:

Wells Fargo

Symantec 

ArcSight, Inc.

Advance IT Minnesota

MN Office of Enterprise Technology

MSI Systems Integrators

General Mills

NetSpi

Aeritae Consulting Group

Ameriprise Financial

Midwave

LarsonAllen, LLP