BY Preston ForeSeptember 13, 2023, 4:01 PM
Widespread cybercrime and cyber insecurity are one among the most severe risks the globe is set to face over the next decade and beyond.
In fact, cybersecurity issues are on par with other concerns like natural resource crises and mass involuntary migration, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report.
To help mitigate these cyber risks, 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals are needed worldwide. In the U.S. alone, this amounts to more than 770,000 open jobs, based on data compiled by the Biden administration.
This lack of talent is in part predicted to cost the world over $10 trillion annually in cybercrime related incidents by 2025.
But in Florida, leaders are tackling the skills gap head-first. A hands-on partnership between the University of South Florida (USF) and ReliaQuest—a Tampa-based global cybersecurity firm—is training students to become the next generation of cyber experts.
For the past five years, more than 300 students have engaged in the six-week ReliaQuest Labs program, which includes sessions at USF and ReliaQuest’s headquarters. Students learn in part aspects of threat analysis and how to use security operation platforms.
According to Brian Murphy, ReliaQuest’s founder and CEO, cybersecurity is the largest technical challenge of our generation.
“The demand and the problem is growing right now faster than the technology companies like ReliaQuest can even keep up with,” he tells Fortune. “And so it will continue to be on the forefront.”
ReliaQuest company provides services to many well-known organizations like Hard Rock Cafe, AAA, and Circle K.
As technology innovations continue to develop, Murphy says cybersecurity must stay ahead of the curve and always be part of the conversation.
“When it comes to AI, when it comes to cybersecurity—there’s something new not just every day, but every hour, and you just have to be up to date on it and you have to have the right connections with the community,” says USF President Rhea Law.
Hiring what they teach
Murphy notes that while there’s no shortage of students interested in cybersecurity, having hands-on technical skills can sometimes be a challenge. This is part of the inspiration behind the ReliaQuest Labs program—to teach students what they really need to know to be successful on day one in the industry.
The program is open to students as long as they are at least a junior or senior, or in a master’s program, and are ideally interested in cybersecurity post-graduation. Murphy adds that students of any background can participate if as they are committed to putting their head down and working hard.
Students who successfully complete the program receive a certificate in cyber analytic fundamentals as well as an opportunity to interview for an internship—or even full-time job—at ReliaQuest.
About 20% of participants are offered jobs directly at ReliaQuest, and 70% are helped in finding other opportunities within the industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security analysts earn a median salary of $112,000 annually.
Paul Rispoli was one of the fortunate ones. After completing the program at USF, he was hired as part of ReliaQuest’s incident response team. Now, just three years later, he has been promoted multiple times and is a manager, overseeing around 50 people worldwide.
This growth speaks to the rise in industry demand. According to Murphy, ReliaQuest is growing about 40% year-to-year.
Rispoli adds that while college classes can teach you about cybersecurity principles and ideas, having hands-on experiences with cybersecurity products and clients is what makes a difference.
“Specifically at ReliaQuest, what you get here that I don’t get anywhere else is just the opportunity to learn,” Rispoli tells Fortune. “Because we’re dealing with some of the biggest companies that are getting the latest technologies.”
For students without the opportunity to participate in the USF-ReliaQuest partnership, Rispoli says showing your interest in cybersecurity through extracurricular activities, for example, is crucial toward getting ahead.
“I will gladly take anybody that may be a little light technically, but has the right mindset and shows me and proves to me that they want to learn and they’re willing to—versus someone that’s like an absolute stud technically, but is not receptive to feedback and is not willing to put in the work,” he says.
Protecting schools from cyber attacks
With school starting back, the need for sufficient cybersecurity measures is more important than ever, especially with learning becoming more integrated in digital spaces. But a simple search online will populate dozens of incidents already this semester of schools across the country facing cyber attacks.
The University of Michigan notably faced a cyber event earlier this semester, which led to the campus being without Wi-Fi for several days.
So, for schools like USF, cybersecurity is a constant looming factor.
“This is an ongoing problem,” Law tells Fortune. “It is not that you train once and then you hope everything’s fine. It has to be a continual effort. And our IT folks have really stepped up their efforts in letting people know immediately if there’s a new kind of challenge or vulnerability out there.”
The university notably is home to Cyber Florida, an initiative established by the state’s legislature in 2014 to partner with educational institutions, businesses, and military installations to boost the cybersecurity workforce and bring awareness to the issue.
This push is in-part embodied by the USF-ReliaQuest program.
“This is about bettering technology for not just our state, but for the world,” Law says. “We’re having an impact, and we’re having an impact because we’re locking arms with our business community and making it happen.”
