Leading Provider of Compressed Cybersecurity Training Programs Continues to Expand into High Needs Markets

DENVER- SecureSet Academy today announced the acquisition of HackEd, a provider of hands-on cybersecurity training for technical professionals, to support SecureSet’s expansion of immersive cybersecurity education programs in the Washington D.C. metro area. Jon Ferris, Founder, HackEd will transition to Campus Director of the SecureSet DC Metro campus and continue his commitment to securing both organizations and futures.

While many ‘bootcamps’ are struggling to differentiate, or just beginning to think about how to incorporate security into their curriculum, SecureSet is bringing its proven model of education and outcomes to the Washington D.C. metro market as the premier provider of immersive cybersecurity education. This new campus will help serve the growing need for cybersecurity professionals in the region, bringing SecureSet’s leading programs to a new set of organizations in desperate need of skilled technical security staff.

The Washington D.C. metro area is a natural location for SecureSet to expand as the region has the highest concentration of unmet cybersecurity talent in the country, according to Cyberseek, with more than 43,200 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the region alone. With a wealth of cybersecurity jobs open in both the private and government sectors, the gap in skills is particularly acute in this region. According to a recent Ponemon study, 75% of organizations report that their security team is currently understaffed and the same proportion say they have difficulty attracting qualified candidates. Additionally, Ponemon reports that one of the biggest barriers to a strong security posture is not having a team of security professionals that can deal with complex and serious internal and external threats to the organization.

“There are many individuals looking for the right path to a rewarding cybersecurity career, this partnership with HackEd is the perfect complement to our existing programs, bringing more opportunity for immersive cybersecurity education to a hotbed of technical professionals,” said Bret Fund, CEO and Founder of SecureSet. “HackEd has always had a similar philosophy to SecureSet when it came to delivering immersive education. By joining forces, we are better able to deliver high quality education to a broader range of individuals and companies looking to amplify their cybersecurity skills in Washington D.C. and beyond.”

Many technical bootcamps fail to adequately prepare security professionals for the hands-on environments in which they are desperately needed. SecureSet’s immersive programs and workshops give students the hands-on experience and theoretical underpinnings needed to succeed in a cybersecurity career. The Washington D.C. location adds to SecureSet’s presence across the nation, with current locations in Colorado Springs, Denver and Tampa.

“We are proud to join the SecureSet family, bringing a top-notch cybersecurity education to our students in the Washington D.C. Metro region,” said Jon Ferris, DC Metro Campus Director, SecureSet. “The talent gap we see indicates that employers are struggling to find qualified candidates. That presents a perfect opportunity to match prospective cybersecurity professionals with both the education and employment opportunities needed to help them enter the workforce. SecureSet’s robust training and job-placement program is the strongest in the industry, and we are excited to introduce it to our local community.”

SecureSet offers opportunities for hiring a graduate through their Wire platform, which provides organizations access to a growing pool of driven and practiced candidates, ready for employment as tier 1+ security professionals. For more information about SecureSet’s immersive training programs, visit: https://secureset.com/programs/.