CyberVista Launches First-Of-Its-Kind Initiative To Increase Diversity In The Cybersecurity Field

ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cybersecurity education and workforce development company CyberVista today announced the launch of a new program designed to provide women and minorities with more opportunities to obtain certifications required to work in the cybersecurity field. Through the program, CyberVista will provide $125,000 in free Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) certification test preparation courses to women and minorities in more than 30 companies that currently have the most open jobs requiring the certification. CyberVista will also match that donation course-for-course with up to $125,000 in free CISSP® certification test preparation courses to two of the leading diversity advocacy groups in the field—Women in Technology and the International Consortium of Minorities Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP).

"Today, women make up just 11 percent of the cyber workforce. Minorities represent just under 12 percent," said CyberVista CEO, Amjed Saffarini. "With a potential shortfall of qualified cybersecurity professionals estimated at 1.5 million by 2019, the industry simply can't afford to ignore such a large pool of potential talent."

"There is a glaring underrepresentation of women and other historically marginalized minority groups, specifically African Americans and Hispanics, in cybersecurity," said Aric K. Perminter, President of ICMCP. "Increasing diversity is not just about growing the workforce, but also about encouraging the diversity of ideas that are needed to address today's cyber threats."

"In today's market, there is enormous opportunity for skilled cybersecurity professionals, yet there remains a frustrating shortage of women in the field, particularly in management positions," said Kathryn Harris, President, of Women in Technology. "We're thrilled to work with CyberVista to provide more women the opportunity to advance their careers in cybersecurity through CISSP® certification."

CyberVista's CISSP® test prep program offers a new approach to cybersecurity training informed by decades of learning science expertise with sister company Kaplan, Inc. The course, a $3,995 value, includes the following unique elements:

• Personalized experience: The only program that conducts an initial diagnostic assessment of each student's level of knowledge to deliver a personalized and efficient study plan.
• Most comprehensive: 300+ hours of structured learning including more than 70 hours of live and on-demand expert instruction.
• Engaging delivery mechanisms: Includes lightboard technology and on-demand video, to provide an experience that more closely mirrors and even exceeds the benefits of face-to-face instruction.
• A focus on practice: Includes more than 2,000 practice questions, flashcards and CyberVista Summary Notes.
• Convenience: Live courses are offered online on weekday evenings to eliminate travel and minimize the impact on jobs and other obligations of working professionals.

"We feel so strongly about the need for diversity in the cybersecurity workforce, and are so confident in our unique approach to training, that we felt compelled to develop this program to expand access to populations that are underrepresented in the field today," said Jung Lee, head of certification test preparation programs at CyberVista. "This program will not only help women and minorities prepare for and pass the CISSP® exam, but also to compete for the most in-demand job openings."

For more information about CISSP® test preparation from CyberVista, please visit, www.cybervista.net/CISSP.

About CyberVista
CyberVista is a cybersecurity training and workforce development company whose mission is to create a cyber-ready workforce through personalized training programs that provide organizations with the people, knowledge and skills required to defend their most critical assets. With parent Graham Holdings Company and sister company Kaplan, Inc.'s innovative education technologies and personalized approach to learning, CyberVista offers a new vision for board, executive, and workforce cybersecurity education. For more information, visit www.cybervista.net.

About Women in Technology
Women in Technology (WIT) is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of advancing women in technology—from the classroom to the boardroom—by providing advocacy, leadership development, networking, mentoring and technology education. With nearly 1000 members in the Washington, D.C. area, WIT's vision is to empower women to be architects of change in the technology industry. For more information, please visit, http://www.womenintechnology.org/ or connect with us via: Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter (@WITWomen).

About ICMCP
The International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It began official operations in September 2014 and is organized exclusively for charitable purposes, to provide members with educational/technical scholarships, mentoring opportunities, professional development and networking opportunities. For more information or to become a sponsor, please visit https://icmcp.org, follow @ICMCP_ORG on Twitter or visit the ICMCP LinkedIn page. Please join us for the 2^nd annual ICMCP National Conference on March 15-16 in Washington, D.C.  Register now for early bird discounts!

SOURCE CyberVista

Related Links

https://www.cybervista.net