Washington, D.C. — Montreat College, in collaboration with the Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress (CSPC) and Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), co-founders of the Carolina Cyber Network (CCN) alongside RBX Solutions, convened with distinguished experts on Capitol Hill to discuss strategies for building and sustaining the national cyber workforce required to face current and future challenges.
The invitation-only gathering featured Daniel “Rags” Ragsdale, Deputy Assistant National Cyber Director at the White House Office of the National Cyber Director; Lynne Clark, Acting Chief of the Center for Cybersecurity Education, Innovation, and Outreach at the National Security Agency (NSA); and Chris Cleary, former Department of the Navy Principal Cyber Advisor. Joined by representatives from Congress, the discussion emphasized the urgent need for greater collaboration between industry and national academic centers of excellence to ensure that cybersecurity curricula remain relevant to the evolving needs of the private sector.
“Education is a vital part of the equation,” said Glenn Nye, President and CEO of CSPC, “but it’s also about the importance of ethics and non-technical skills to help tomorrow’s cyber professionals enter the workforce and succeed.”
Earlier this year, Montreat College President Paul Maurer and cybersecurity expert Ed Skoudis co-authored The Code of Honor: Embracing Ethics in Cybersecurity. This influential book is being integrated into the curricula of leading cybersecurity programs across the country, providing future cybersecurity professionals with a strong ethical foundation.
The Carolina Cyber Network’s innovative partnership between community colleges and universities in North Carolina was also highlighted as a successful model for addressing the nation’s cyber workforce shortage.
“This partnership of academia and industry is creating graduates who are better prepared for the workforce and at a quicker pace,” said Nye. “As the panel noted, not all positions require a four-year degree. A two-year degree with continuous education is often precisely what is needed for many of the real-world positions industry aims to fill.”
As the United States faces increasing cybersecurity threats, bolstering the cyber workforce is essential to national defense. The panel concluded by calling for innovative approaches to addressing workforce gaps in cybersecurity and beyond, emphasizing that having training skilled professionals is just as important as developing policies and deploying cutting-edge technology.
Montreat College and the Carolina Cyber Network remain at the forefront of these efforts at a national level, equipping the next generation of cyber professionals with the skills and ethical principles necessary for long-term success.