Most organizations find it increasingly difficult to develop newly hired talent, retain tenured personnel, and maintain the requirements of day-to-day security operations. Investing in the professional development of cybersecurity personnel is a key factor in both the operational success of an organization and the long-term retention of staff.
The Upskill Initiative is a component of the Passage Program, and was designed by the Tech Data Cyber Range to develop participants in their current job role by providing the resources and skills needed to succeed. The initiative can provide the necessary bandwidth and proficiency to support the development of currently employed, qualified individuals.
Career Roles for the Upskill Initiative:
Cybersecurity Analyst
- A Cybersecurity Analyst is an entry-level job role in defensive cybersecurity.
- This role is responsible for the monitoring and investigation of security alerts and incidents within a security practice.
- This path is directed at employers looking to eliminate the time and bandwidth constraints in providing job readiness training for current employees working in cybersecurity operations.
The Upskill Initiative will provide job-readiness testing and training on the following topics:
- Data Search Procedures
- Protocol Analyzers
- Incident Reporting
- Recognize Vulnerabilities
- Identify Malware
- Interpret Signatures
- Detect Host Intrusions
- Generate Queries and Reports
- Conduct Trend Analysis
- Interpret Collected Information
- Linux Fundamentals
- Windows Fundamentals
Junior Penetration Tester
- A Junior Penetration Tester is an entry-level job role in offensive cybersecurity.
- This role is responsible for the reconnaissance, enumeration, analysis and reporting of security vulnerabilities.
- This path is directed at employers looking to eliminate the time and bandwidth constraints in providing job readiness training for current employees, such as organizations that manage their own in-house cybersecurity assessment services.
The Upskill Initiative will provide job-readiness testing and training on the following topics:
- Pre-Engagement Analysis
- Intelligence Gathering
- Vulnerability Analysis
- Exploitation
- Post-Exploitation
- Engagement Cleanup
- Reporting and Remediation
Cybersecurity Channel Specialist
- A Cybersecurity Channel Specialist is a new job role that specializes in cybersecurity in the channel.
- This role is responsible for the assessment, recommendation, and implementation of security solutions based on their organization’s needs.
- This path is directed at employers looking to eliminate the time and bandwidth constraints in providing job readiness training for current employees, such as organizations that manage their own in-house cybersecurity assessment services.
The Placement Initiative will provide job-readiness testing and training on the following topics:
- Data Collection
- Vulnerability Identification
- Security Policy
- Malware Analysis
- Threat Intelligence
- Incident Handling
For Employers
If you are managing your own in-house security services, you can rely on the expertise of the Passage Program to provide job-readiness training and assessments for your qualified employees.
Organizations who use the Upskill Initiative can:
- Gain confidence in the expertise of the Passage Program team to deliver and facilitate vetted job-readiness training
- Easily access training for employees that meet the minimum criteria
- Deliver the Upskill Initiative as a professional service to support their end-customers’ cybersecurity development needs
Is your organization interested in utilizing the Upskill Initiative? Email us today.
Passage Program: Upskill Initiative
Any TD SYNNEX partner can utilize the program’s services, either for staff augmentation through the Placement Initiative or through employee skills development through the Upskill Initiative. Additionally, any individual who meets the minimum requirements can apply to enroll in the Placement Initiative. The roles currently offered for both initiatives are a Cybersecurity Analyst and a Junior Penetration Tester.
Why is the Passage Program launching with Cybersecurity Analyst and Junior Penetration Tester roles?
While the job roles may not fit the need with all organizations, those with a more mature security practice can utilize the program to build their talent base or develop their existing employees’ competencies. As the program develops, additional roles will be added to support partner needs.
The Passage Program uses a mix of existing vendor solutions and TD SYNNEX original content to create end-to-end training for each supported job role. TD SYNNEX content is composed of custom e-learning content, practical skills assessments, and consultation services.
While the Passage Program is not an accrediting body and will not provide a certification for completing the program, documentation of completion will be provided. Additionally, candidates who successfully complete the Placement Initiative will enter our job placement pool, where we will work with our partner organization to find a suitable career opportunity for the candidate.
Like other professional services in cybersecurity, the Passage Program Upskill Initiative does not support being white-labeled, as a majority of the program’s content is delivered through the Cyber Range and third-party training platforms.
Participants in the Upskill Initiative will be thoroughly screened for program readiness prior to being admitted into the program and billed respectively for the program. If a participant meets the program requirements but fails to complete the training in the allocated time or is unable/unwilling to complete the training, no reimbursement will be issued.
Since the program is a professional service and not a training platform, there is not a demonstration available for partners to review.
I’m interested in learning more about the Passage Program; who should I reach out to for next steps?
- Anyone looking to apply to the Passage Program: Placement Initiative should visit the Passage Program: Placement Initiative page.
- Partners looking to hire from our pool of candidates that have completed the Placement Initiative should reach out to the security services team at securityservices@techdata.com.
- Partners wanting to use the Upskill Initiative to develop their own employees or resell the service to their clients should reach out to the security services team at securityservices@techdata.com.
