MassBay to Host Free Cybersecurity Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
781-239-2636
ecooper@massbay.edu

MassBay Community College students in a computer science lab on the MassBay Wellesley Hills campus, June 2023 (Photo/MassBay Community College).

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (October 13, 2023) — On Saturday, October 21, 2023, from 10am–1pm MassBay Community College will host a free Cybersecurity Festival at the Wellesley Hills campus for local high school and college students, their families, and adults interested in learning more about cybersecurity. This hands-on event is a fun way to celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month with the opportunity to play cyber games, meet cybersecurity students and professionals in the field, and learn how cybersecurity impacts the world around us.

“Cybersecurity impacts all of us, so it’s important to have an educated workforce that is ready to protect us on multiple layers,” said MassBay computer science professor and director of the MassBay Center for Cybersecurity Education, Shamsi Moussavi. “The Cybersecurity Festival is an opportunity for students and their families to enjoy a fun afternoon, while investigating if this might be an educational or career path for them. We want people to see and understand what cybersecurity is all about, while providing awareness of the in-demand, well-paying career opportunities that are vital to our workforce.”

With the ever-increasing cybersecurity threats and risks to organizations’ information and data, the need for trained workers who can identify, prevent, mitigate, and address the threats to IT networks is at an all-time high. MassBay has responded to the growing regional and national need for well-trained cybersecurity professionals by creating a Center for Cybersecurity Education. The Center is built around MassBay’s cybersecurity programs (certificates and associate degree programs), which aligns with the national frameworks and educational guidelines and has been highlighted by The White House. Currently, MassBay is the only associate degree in cybersecurity program in Massachusetts.

Individuals interested in participating in this free and fun hands-on event, learning more about the cybersecurity field, and programs at MassBay can register here:

Register for Cybersecurity festival →

This event is being held by MassBay’s faculty in the College’s Center for Cybersecurity Education and sponsored by the MassBay ACT (AttrACTing the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Workforce) grant supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. DUE-210014.

MassBay Community College student Dalia Diaz Chongo working on her laptop on the MassBay Wellesley Hills campus, October 2023 (Photo/MassBay Community College).“Working on Cybersecurity projects has not only allowed me to test my limits but also to discover and develop my abilities,” said MassBay Information Systems and Technology student Dalia Diaz Chongo of Newton, MA. “It has compelled me to push myself further and embrace challenges that I may not have encountered otherwise."

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online. MassBay students receive an unmatched educational value by earning stackable credits that transfer to bachelor’s degree programs, and workforce-ready skills necessary to advance careers in high-demand fields such as health and life sciences, automotive technology, engineering, business, cybersecurity, and the humanities. MassBay’s Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs were both ranked as the #1 Nursing Program in Massachusetts in 2020-2021 by national nursing advocacy organizations RegisteredNursing.org, and PracticalNursing.org. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and remains firmly committed to its mission of meeting the needs of the diverse local communities it serves. We value the intrinsic worth of all individuals, collectively in pursuit of inclusiveness and prioritize our work towards achieving equity within our community and beyond.