Spokane Falls Cyber Center trains future workforce through industry partnership

(This article was originally published on SFCC)

[SPOKANE, Wash.] — Kory Bruno grew up playing computer games where he could be one destroying data and hacking networks. Now the Spokane Falls Community College alumni spends every day doing top secret work defending against the cybercriminals he imitated in online games.

The opening of the Spokane Falls Cyber Center is expanding student interest in the cyber field and training the future workforce through industry partnerships.

Through a partnership between the cyber program and the Public Infrastructure Security Cyber Education System (PISCES), students are gaining real work experience as cyber analysts.

Bruno is one of 10 students who completed the IS 248 – Security Operations Center Analyst pilot course this year as an addition to his associate of applied science in information technology/cybersecurity.

At the end of their work in the PISCES software, students are granted a certificate that is fully sanctioned by PISCES and formally acknowledged by the Department of Homeland Security.

“Having this certificate puts us above entry level,” Bruno said. “I really like that they’re doing this to give students hands on experience.”

Bruno enrolled in the security operations center course to bolster his resumé, not knowing it’d lead to somewhat of a dream job.

“It’s not part of the defender track curriculum but I wanted to do this class because of what it was offering, and I knew it’s where I wanted to go,” Bruno said.

Through a simple message of interest to the PISCES contact, Bruno secured full-time employment because of his combination of certifications and experience.

He began work as an Operations Engineer at PISCES on June 1, where he uses his skills to protect local municipalities in communities that don’t have budgets allocated to cyber protection.

“The environment here is awesome and the partnerships are great. The program specifically partners with students and local municipalities,” Bruno said. “I don’t know what else I’d be doing.”

Program Lead and SFCC IT Professor Mark Neufville said the partnership between PISCES and the Security Operations Center course allows students to look at real life security data, do research and input information into the system for analysis.

“This program is a direct entry into the workforce. There is a direct need for these students right now,” Neufville said.” This class is the first step in being a cybersecurity analyst. They’re all doing real work.”