Georgia Cyber Center celebrates its 5-year anniversary
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center is celebrating its five-year anniversary Monday.
To celebrate the occasion, community and students like Samuel Bailey, a Information Technology and Cyber Security major, get to see how the it operates for the first time.
“Going behind the scenes lets us see what actual people are doing live and the tools they use to do it,” said Bailey.
This kind of in-depth look is rare, but beneficial for students like him.
“To get an opportunity to go behind the scenes and see what’s going on is not an opportunity you get very much,” said Bailey. “As someone who wants to go into the field, getting a peek at what they want from you, way they’re using the tools and the opportunities is something I thought I’d be interested in.”
Through tours, activities, and demonstrations, the community is getting to see how academia, private industry and government all collaborate.
Collaboration is something Brandon Sizemore, Deputy Director of Cyber Fusion Innovation, said is key when it comes to cyber security.
“With government, we’re focused on technology we need today. Whereas industry is more focused on what we need in the future. So we’re able to interact with those guys and and drive our focus to where it needs to be going forward,” said Sizemore. “With technology moving in the cyber realm as quickly as it does, you have to you have to be located closely with industry because they’re on the forefront of this technology.”
Todd Gay, the Director of Outreach and Engagement at Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, said the event also serves as a chance to fill vacancies in a growing field.
“We have a great place here where you can go if you’re looking for a job. Georgia has 24,000 jobs that are available currently that we cannot fill and we’re helping to shrink that workforce gap,” said Gay.
For students like Bailey, job opportunities and getting the chance to network and see what is out there is good news.
“I think that being able to be here present and for employers to see you working what you can you do can not only build opportunities for now but also for the future,” said Bailey.
Gay said they are excited to show the community how the building operates, and they hope it leads to increase knowledge and awareness of cyber hygiene.
As far as the next five year, Gay said they are hoping to hire more researchers and have even more space.
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