IT Security Firm Provides Software to School’s New Cybersecurity Lab

Bethesda, MD – The United States is facing a cybersecurity labor shortage; more than 200,000 cybersecurity jobs are unfilled, according to recent industry research from Forbes.

It’s critical, then, that students and professionals have the necessary opportunities and resources to adequately train and prepare to fill these needed positions in the cybersecurity industry.

To this end, SAINT Corporation, a leading cybersecurity software firm, is pleased to partner with Montgomery College to provide the tools, skills, and development opportunities that students and professionals need to succeed in a cybersecurity career.

Montgomery College, a public community college located just outside Washington, D.C., opened its new Cybersecurity Lab at its campus in Germantown, Maryland in October 2015. To further the lab’s capabilities and learning opportunities, SAINT has contributed various cybersecurity software tools to the lab for students and professionals to use in classes, projects, and seminars. SAINT’s software will play an integral role in Montgomery College’s “learn-by-doing” approach to education.

“The cybersecurity industry is growing and evolving rapidly, and there’s a huge need for IT security training and development opportunities, especially here in the Maryland/DC region,” said SAINT CEO Donna Ruginski. “Our neighbors at Montgomery College have developed a state-of-the-art facility to help train the cybersecurity professionals of tomorrow, and SAINT is more than happy to contribute real-world tools to supplement the learning and training process.”

Montgomery College’s Cybersecurity Lab was funded by the College and a Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAAACCT) grant. A total of 14 community colleges in Maryland are benefitting from the nearly $15 million in TAAACCT funding awarded in 2014 to support these job-driven training programs. Montgomery College will receive more than $5.3 million to lead the consortium of Maryland community colleges.

“We are creating, intentionally, learning spaces and training spaces that work together to create an opportunity for our community in the same environment,” said Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard, Montgomery College president. “The classroom and the workspace are growing closer today, and every day.”

The college’s cybersecurity lab provides opportunities to students and professionals for teaching, learning, and professional growth, through advanced virtual computing and network capabilities. The lab supports virtual infrastructure that can host more than 100 virtual servers, more than 250 virtual desktops, isolated networks, wireless and forensic technologies, a collaborative workspace/lab with technologies to elicit team work, NETLAB+ servers preloaded software tools to host real lab equipment, virtual machines and lab content at any location for trainees to complete projects.