OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Open search box
There is an acute shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals. While higher education organizations across the nation are doing their best to train the next generation, studies have shown that traditional academic programs in cybersecurity aren’t turning out workforce-ready professionals.
Given the ever-increasing threat of cyber-attacks, this shortage of trained professionals is adversely impacting organizations in Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and nationally.
Both private and public organizations are under severe pressure to protect and defend their cyber assets against attacks and compromises, but it is increasingly difficult to attract and retain cybersecurity staff.
The Oregon Research and Teaching Security Operations Center at Oregon State University aims to address the shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals while serving the security needs of regional underserved entities — such as small local government agencies, K-12 schools, smaller higher education institutions, and nonprofit organizations — who struggle to meet their cybersecurity needs.
Studies have shown that to best prepare students for careers in cybersecurity, experiential learning is the key. ORTSOC is a “teaching hospital” for cybersecurity operations.
Each computer science student who chooses the new security operations track will participate in an academic year of residency in a working security operations center under the mentorship of subject matter experts. This unique approach will transform these students into well-rounded practitioners ready to meet the challenges of a demanding field.
ORTSOC is also a living laboratory for research, exploring cutting-edge techniques for security operations such as security monitoring and detection techniques, incident handling and management, threat intelligence, and threat hunting.
ORTSOC will also act as a regional cybersecurity center of excellence that provides security information sharing and analysis, professional education, and training opportunities for regional entities, in addition to serving underserved entities cybersecurity operations needs.