News & Program Updates
Cybersecurity Industry Leaders Mentoring Undergraduate Students Across Massachusetts
The MassCyberCenter has paired 25 undergraduate students from 14 different schools across the Commonwealth with 22 mentors from 14 different organizations during the spring cohort of its Cybersecurity Mentorship Program, an effort that aims to increase diversity within the cybersecurity workforce in Massachusetts. Students have been meeting virtually with their mentor one-to-one since March to discuss cybersecurity careers and work together on a cybersecurity-related project.
Overall Program Participants: Colleges & Universities and their Locations
Let us know if you are interested in knowing when applications open for the next cohort!
"Cyber Threats Rise Amid Chaos of Pandemic"
MassCyberCenter Director, Stephanie Helm was interviewed on the cybersecurity threats facing Massachusetts communities, garnering several pieces of coverage in publications north of Boston:
"[The MassCyberCenter] has been working with local governments to help them understand how to lessen the risks, respond to attacks and harden their infrastructure to protect against hackers" states Helm.
Opportunities
Stipends for Businesses Hiring Summer Interns!
If you are hiring interns this summer you will want to take advantage of the MassTech Intern Partnership. Massachusetts cybersecurity companies can be reimbursed for up to 50% of an intern's hourly wage up to $8 per hour for a total of $3,200/year per individual intern. Tech companies may apply for up to 2 interns in 2021. Priority sectors, such as cybersecurity, can apply for up to 3 interns. All interns must be paid as employees, not contractors, with required payroll withholdings. 
Apply for the US Cyber Games!
Recently, the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) and Katzcy have launched the inaugural US Cyber Games™, an effort to showcase the talented cybersecurity students and workers in the U.S. and to highlight cybersecurity education.

Applications are now open for the program, which runs from April to October 2021, and includes the:

  • US Cyber Open: A “two-week Open Capture the Flag (CTF) competition” for people 18 to 26 years old;
  • The US Cyber Combine Invitational: A competition featuring 60 athlete players who “will be invited to participate in a number of virtual learning games and programs over eight weeks.” and
  • The announcement of the US Cyber Team: The selection of the “20 top cybersecurity athletes” who will represent the U.S. at the International Cyber Security Challenge in Athens, Greece.

Wouldn’t it be great to see Massachusetts students and techs represented in these new programs? To learn more or apply, visit https://www.uscybergames.com/.
Upcoming Events
RSA Conference 2021
RSA Conference 2021 is the best place to strengthen your resilience. From the first day to the last, you’ll gain actionable insights from hundreds of traditional and immersive sessions, collaborate and share different perspectives with peers that will spark new approaches, and see the latest technology.

MassCyberCenter Director, Stephanie Helm along with Undersecretary Jeanne Benincasa Thorpe, EOPSS, Secretary Chris Wood, EOTSS, and Secretary Michael Kennealy, EOHED will host a panel on May 19th titled "Municipal Cybersecurity: Building the 'Last Mile' of Resiliency". Learn more about this session here.
Save the Date - MassCyberMonth October 2021
The MassCyberCenter assembles a calendar of these events on its website for the month of October, so we can see the breadth of cybersecurity activity across Massachusetts. Do you plan to host an event in October as part of MassCyberMonth?
For questions or concerns, you can contact us at masscybercenter@masstech.org.
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