Mason hosts 2nd Annual Virginia Cybersecurity Conference

On Aug. 13-14 George Mason University will host the 2nd Annual Virginia Cybersecurity Education Conference on its Fairfax campus. The conference will expand on the theme of Improving Cybersecurity Education at All Levels with talks, workshops, and discussions that will help administrators and faculty educate high schoolers and college and university students on cybersecurity.

"We've got two full days of great talks, workshops, and panel discussions planned,” said Virginia Cyber Range Director David Raymond. “This is an excellent opportunity for educators, administrators, and industry partners to learn new educational tools and techniques for teaching cybersecurity, and to build networks of like-minded professionals."

The conference features four tracks that address the overarching theme. Attendees will discover new cybersecurity instruction tips, tackle hands-on cybersecurity activities, learn about case studies, and explore cyber workforce development and credentialing efforts.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia has made it a priority to increase the cyber workforce within the state,” said Peggy Brouse, director for Cyber Security Engineering at George Mason University and member of the Virginia Cyber Range executive committee. “The Virginia Cyber Range is a remarkable initiative with a partnership of higher education institutions throughout the state working in a common, collegial effort to provide a service for all educators in the Commonwealth.”

A main goal of the Virginia Cyber Range is to develop a sense of community around cybersecurity and help it grow to meet the demand for cybersecurity professionals.

The conference is open to all high school, community college, and higher education faculty, administrators, and partners. Advance registration is recommended. 

The Virginia Cyber Range is operated by Virginia Tech and led by an executive committee representing 12 community colleges and universities within Virginia that are nationally recognized centers of academic excellence in cybersecurity. Thousands of educators and students in more than 200 high schools, community colleges, and universities across the state use the Virginia Cyber Range courseware and cloud-hosted exercise environment for hands-on cybersecurity training for students.

This is an excellent opportunity for educators, administrators, and industry partners to learn new educational tools and techniques for teaching cybersecurity, and to build networks of like-minded professionals.

David Raymond, Director of the Virginia Cyber Range