The grand opening of the Upper Peninsula Cybersecurity Institute at NMU—the only facility of its kind in the U.P. and one of six statewide—will be held Thursday, May 2. The institute offers non-degree and industry credentials relevant to emerging careers in cybersecurity. It also augments NMU's existing cyber defense bachelor's degree and provides additional career exploration and training opportunities with U.P. K-12 school districts and postsecondary institutions.
The grand opening is hosted by Northern, in partnership with the Merit Network and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. It runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in room 2202 of The Northern Center (formerly the University Center) at NMU.
The event includes a 9:30-11 a.m. industry panel presentation featuring the following cybersecurity professionals: Donald Davy, director of IT Security with Verso Corp. (NMU alumnus); Matthew Ellison, co-founder and CEO of Arroyo Networks; Keith Glendon, program director for Worldwide Sales, Strategy and Business Development with key industry partner IBM Security and founder of LucidCoast LLC (NMU alumnus); Tiffany Long, community manager at HackerOne; Chuck Nelson, president and managing partner at Xeratec Corp.; and Meredith Miller, security services consultant with IBM Security (NMU alumna).
High school students will participate in a Capture the Flag cybersecurity challenge in the same Northern Center location where stakeholders and experts in the areas of connected technology, cybersecurity, cyberthreat and business will lead discussions on a set of relevant topics throughout the day. Across campus in the Digital Learning and Design Lab (2702 West Science), a HackerOne class—designed to promote ethical hacking—will begin at 11 a.m.
In an increasingly connected world in which nearly every aspect of life is dependent upon technology, cybersecurity has become a critical challenge that has increased demand for trained cyber professionals. Consistent with its strategic goal to invest in innovation, Northern is committed to providing the education and training that prepares students to succeed in this dynamic and growing field. Many cybersecurity professionals can work remotely from the Upper Peninsula or other locations.
In partnership with Merit, MEDC, Michigan Defense Center, and the Michigan Cyber Range, the institute also serves as a magnet site for industry collaboration, testing, training and certification.