New training center looks to put byte on cybercrime
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Cyberattacks are becoming more and more intrusive on modern life. To help combat them, the state's first cyber upskilling training center opened its doors Monday.
GoCyber Collective's new upskilling training center in Moraine aims to train professionals to defend against cyberattacks.
"We have a huge gap right now when it comes to people on the digital front lines, being skilled in being able to identify and intercept cyberattacks because they're becoming more intrusive," said GoCyber's John Seibel.
Experts say the Miami Valley is a prime target due to the presence of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
"Because of all the defense contracting that's done here, this has been an incredibly rich place for technology," said Seibel. "So the bad guy knows that."
In 2023, a cyberattack on the government of Huber Heights disabled the city's computer systems and compromised thousands of people's personal information.
"A lot of organizations fall into thinking they're secure and that they're doing all the right things and only to find out that they're not," said GoCyber Collective Chair Shawn Waldman. "And the best way to overcome that is to get to our collective meetings"
GoCyber's upcoming training classes, which start in January, will cover topics such as Windows and network forensics, AI, ethical hacking and penetration testing.
"We see attacks pretty much every day, whether it's coming on through email or our sensors are picking it up and reporting on it," said William Cornett, cybersecurity analysis for Warren County. "So having those skills to be able to detect it and respond to it."
But cyberspace is not just for adult professionals.
With the growing labor shortage in cybersecurity, Sinclair Community College is working to spark high school students' interest in the field and prepare them for future careers.
"Students have to break through every inch of this box so it has a lock," said Kyle Jones, Sinclair's assistant dean of Information Technology. "They have to break into this. They have to know about wireless security, network security, to figure out all of the elements of this box, to pop open the container that has the stickers and kind of get the stickers out as a part of their reward."
