AN ABERDEEN technology business has given its backing to five young people looking to develop a career in cybersecurity – and announced a new partnership with a city university.
The TechForce, which specialises in cybersecurity solutions and consultancy, previously committed to supporting a handful of individuals achieve their CompTIA Security+ qualification; an essential requirement for people looking to begin a career in IT security.
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Would-be cybersecurity professionals submitted a minute-long video, via YouTube, that explained why they would benefit from this qualification. Applicants had to be a Scottish resident and not hold any existing cybersecurity certifications or a related degree to be eligible for the competition.
The five best entries were then selected by judges representing The TechForce, Robert Gordon University (RGU) and Elevator.
The two leading entries, submitted by Fiona Davidson and Navya Iyengar, will benefit from full funding towards the cost of their exam, on receipt of proof of their qualification, up until the end of March 2020.
Meanwhile the other three finalists – Beata Tetkowska, Kiersten Robinson and Niven Tanzer – will each receive a 50 per-cent contribution.
In addition, The TechForce has unveiled details of a new partnership with RGU, which will see the company sponsors a series of regular, on-campus discussions exploring key security issues with leading experts.
The first of these events, Cybersecurity and Control Systems, was held in the Sir Ian Wood Building on January 14th with speakers from Cap Gemini and Petrofac.
Jai Aenugu, managing director at The TechForce, said: “We are pleased to have been able to create this pathway and help people kick-start their career in cybersecurity, which will hopefully give them a head-start in what is fast becoming a very competitive industry.
“We were hugely impressed by the standard of entries, including ones from people of all ages and backgrounds, but the judges were unanimous that both Fiona and Navya’s efforts stood out and deserved special recognition.”
Dr. Hatem Ahriz, postgraduate course leader, MSc Cyber Security at RGU, said: “Since its launch in September 2018, the Aberdeen Cyber Security meetup found a great supporter in Jai and the team at The TechForce.
“Jai is a great believer in the role that industry can play in supporting academia to nurture future talent. As such, he has kindly agreed to sponsor meet-up events and help provide a forum for the cybersecurity community in the north-east of Scotland.”
The TechForce provides email phishing and security awareness training, endpoint security solutions, vulnerability management and cyber essentials consultancy for medium-to-large businesses.
Located at the Balmoral Hub, Wellington Circle, the business was recently awarded a place on the highly competitive G-Cloud 11 framework, the Government’s cloud and IT services procurement platform. It has also been recognised with Approved Cyber Essentials Practitioner (Advanced) status to support clients achieve Cyber Essentials Plus.
