{"id":23164,"date":"2015-12-15T12:55:21","date_gmt":"2015-12-15T18:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=23164"},"modified":"2015-12-15T13:15:19","modified_gmt":"2015-12-15T19:15:19","slug":"startup-seeks-to-equip-cybersecurity-pros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/startup-seeks-to-equip-cybersecurity-pros\/","title":{"rendered":"Startup seeks to equip cybersecurity pros"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Steven Porter
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paul Petefish paced at the front of the room one recent evening, clicking through slides as he told about three dozen prospective students that they, too, could find work as cybersecurity professionals.<\/p>\n

Petefish, a 33-year-old information technology consultant who\u2019s climbed the ranks of Solutionary Inc.<\/a> over the past decade, this year co-founded Evolve Security Academy<\/a> at 1871<\/a>, the entrepreneurial co-working studio inside Chicago\u2019s Merchandise Mart. <\/p>\n

He sported a crisp white dress shirt, blue jeans and polished brown Oxfords as he made his pitch on Dec. 9. \u201cYou always need people to run the tools no matter how smart the tools get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Demand for competent workers to serve as security analysts, engineers and consultants has swelled in recent years, outpacing the number of people qualified to do such work. So employers have taken to poaching talent from one another, Petefish said.<\/p>\n

Andrew Hamilton, a financial analyst-turned-entrepreneur who co-founded the academy with Petefish, said employers\u2019 being forced to poach qualified IT security employees is bad for business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means the supply-demand is off whack. Now you\u2019re over-paying salaries,\u201d Hamilton said, describing the field as exhibiting \u201cnegative unemployment.\u201d <\/p>\n

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last year that employment of information security analysts \u2014 which Petefish regards as entry-level positions in his line of work \u2014 is expected to rise 37 percent by 2022<\/a>. That\u2019s more than double the growth predicted for computer occupations and more than three times the rate for all occupations.<\/p>\n

Already, more than 209,000 cybersecurity positions nationwide are vacant, according to an analysis of BLS statistics conducted by Peninsula Press<\/a>, a project of the Stanford University journalism program.<\/p>\n

\"Information
Bureau of Labor Statistics facts about information security analysts. (BLS chart<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In military applications, cybersecurity is both defensive and offensive, and the U.S. isn\u2019t alone in this arms race. North Korea began training \u201ccyber warriors\u201d in the early 1990s and now boasts 1,700 \u201chighly skilled and specialized hackers,\u201d Bloomberg Business<\/a> reported late last month, citing South Korea\u2019s Defense Security Command chief. <\/p>\n

The threat of international conflict playing out in cyberspace raises concerns over American critical infrastructure, which is increasingly integrated with and dependent upon computer networks. The potential targets found in the nation\u2019s transportation systems, alone \u2014 including pipelines, highways, mass transit, aviation and maritime traffic \u2014 demonstrate how broadly defensive measures must be employed, according to a report<\/a> by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security soon after its establishment in 2003.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe diversity and size of the transportation sector makes it vital to our economy and national security, including military mobilization and deployment,\u201d the DHS report states, noting that interdependencies with \u201cnearly every other sector of the economy\u201d mean an attack on critical transportation infrastructure could have far-reaching ramifications.<\/p>\n

Petefish, the IT security consultant, ranked aviation among the most obvious transportation systems a malicious hacker would target. \u201cI think it\u2019s a no-brainer when you look at potentially hacking into flight control stations, messing with the flights in the air,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that could be a massive attack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hackers could try feeding false data into air traffic control systems or look for vulnerabilities built into commercial aircraft, Petefish said, noting he\u2019s worked with airlines to ensure an attacker would be unable to gain control of sensitive information via the company\u2019s wireless Internet connection.<\/p>\n

Because territorial boundaries work differently in cyberspace than they do in air, land and sea (the domains in which nation-states have historically engaged one another in conflict), hackers abroad needn\u2019t attack the U.S. government in order to attack America. Local governments have been targeted, including the Chicago suburb Naperville, which rebuilt its online network following a 2012 cyber attack.<\/p>\n

The city spent about $760,000 to rebuild, with insurance covering about a quarter of the cost, the Naperville Sun<\/a> reported in September. Although the suspected source of the attack hasn\u2019t been publicly identified, the FBI suspects it originated overseas.<\/p>\n

Linda LaCloche, the city\u2019s communications manager, said a staff position for a network security engineer was added following the 2012 incident, following the recommendation of a consultant hired to help local leaders sort through the aftermath of the attack.
\nThe position paid about $86,000 plus benefits last year, according to the city\u2019s employee earnings report<\/a> published on its new website.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe challenge for most municipalities is that, obviously the IT field is very competitive, so municipalities don\u2019t have the same salary ranges as the private sector,\u201d LaCloche said.<\/p>\n

Competition is fierce because cybersecurity professionals are in high demand and desperately needed in the business world, too, Petefish said: \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t believe how far behind some companies are on cybersecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some traditional academic institutions have begun responding to this increased demand. American University in Washington, D.C., for instance, launched the Kogod Cybersecurity Governance Center<\/a> in October to conduct multidisciplinary research on best practices in preparing for and responding to increasingly common security breaches.<\/p>\n

But the traditional halls of academia aren\u2019t ideal for everyone, Petefish contended. That\u2019s what inspired his idea to launch the Evolve Security Academy, which will enroll its first cohort in February for a 12-week hands-on curriculum. The class will meet at 1871, where prospective students gathered Wednesday for an informational session.<\/p>\n

Petefish told attendees the class size would be limited to 16 students. Tuition costs $10,000, but there are $5,000 scholarships available for up to nine students: three for women and minorities, three for veterans and three for highly qualified applicants.<\/p>\n

Kimberly Caravantes, a former Transportation Security Administration employee currently earning a Master’s in Information Systems at Northwestern University, asked Petefish what his program would offer participants upon completion of the program. Petefish said that, although his startup wouldn\u2019t be able to bestow any degrees or certificates, his curriculum would offer valuable experience and professional skills, culminating with a \u201cdiploma in cybersecurity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caravantes, who noted that she\u2019d like to apply for a cybersecurity job with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said after the session that she has reservations about the program\u2019s lack of academic accreditation. But it might be a worthwhile educational experience anyway, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know anybody personally who does cybersecurity, so it\u2019s not like I have a mentor,\u201d Caravantes said. \u201cI don\u2019t have somebody who\u2019s like, \u2018OK, this is what you should be doing.\u2019 Basically, I\u2019m looking for a road map.\u201d<\/p>\n

The academy\u2019s next free informational session \u2014 \u201cHow Hacking Works<\/a>,\u201d an exploration of the most common cyber attacks, with demonstrations and hands-on exercises \u2014 is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Dec. 16 at 1871, on the 12th floor of 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza.<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Paul Petefish, a co-founder of Evolve Security Academy, offers a big-picture take on the job market for cybersecurity professionals during an informational session Dec. 9 at 1871, an entrepreneurial co-working studio in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. (Steven Porter\/Medill)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Steven Porter Paul Petefish paced at the front of the room one recent evening, clicking through slides as he told about three dozen prospective students that they, too, could find work as cybersecurity professionals. Petefish, a 33-year-old information technology consultant who\u2019s climbed the ranks of Solutionary Inc. over the past decade, this year co-founded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":183,"featured_media":23178,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,509,30],"tags":[192],"class_list":["post-23164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-fall-2015","category-public-affairs","tag-promo"],"yoast_head":"\nStartup seeks to equip cybersecurity pros - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/startup-seeks-to-equip-cybersecurity-pros\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Startup seeks to equip cybersecurity pros - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Steven Porter Paul Petefish paced at the front of the room one recent evening, clicking through slides as he told about three dozen prospective students that they, too, could find work as cybersecurity professionals. 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