DefenseStorm Designs Security Operations Center with Industry Staff Shortage in Mind

Company’s third SOC supports development of tomorrow’s cybersecurity leaders

ALPHARETTA, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DefenseStorm, a leading cloud-based cybersecurity and cybercompliance management provider to regional and community banks and credit unions, announced its third Security Operations Center (SOC) location near the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) campus. The SOC supports the development of UNCW’s students interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity, creating momentum for DefenseStorm to attack the industry’s staff shortage issue head-on.

Situated on DefenseStorm customer Live Oak Bank’s campus not far from UNCW, the SOC location was strategically selected in partnership with UNCW’s Center for Cyber Defense Education (CCDE) to create a cybersecurity internship program that supports the training of future cybersecurity professionals. UNCW’s information technology major with cybersecurity minor program is designated as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Paige Barry, vice president of customer solutions at DefenseStorm, oversees the UNCW partnership and internship program. A key member of Paige’s customer solutions team is DJ Landreneau, an active member of the UNCW community, not only sitting on the advisory board for the academic program that selects these interns, but also leading regular workshops on campus regarding topics such as incident response and cloud security.

“This internship program presents a great opportunity for DefenseStorm to train and mentor talented students who understand the fundamental concepts of cybersecurity and possess the necessary skills to succeed in the space,” said Barry. “After completing the internship, students will be equipped with the proper background knowledge and experience to identify and combat cyber risks and fuel the future of cybersecurity for financial institutions.”

Three interns started at DefenseStorm’s Wilmington SOC in November 2019 and are scheduled to graduate this May, all with highly regarded NSA/DHS CAE-CD certification. Working onsite with the interns are two full-time security analysts and one security engineer who actively prevent, detect, analyze and respond to cybersecurity incidents.

“Our goal is to prepare our students to design, engage and operate information systems using a risk-balanced approach that maximizes the confidentiality of data systems while minimizing the impact of bad actors,” said Dr. Ulku Clark, director of CCDE and professor of information systems at UNCW. “With the help of DefenseStorm, students are gaining valuable work experience and discovering the opportunities that await them in the field of cybersecurity. The UNCW-DefenseStorm partnership not only creates cyber workforce-ready UNCW graduates through the work-based learning environment offered by DefenseStorm, but also gives DefenseStorm the opportunity to work with UNCW CAE-CD’s top students.”

DefenseStorm plans to expand this program to other schools to increase young cybersecurity talent and ensure the continued safety of the country’s financial institutions.

About DefenseStorm

DefenseStorm provides cybersecurity and cybercompliance solutions specifically built for banking to achieve and maintain Cyber Safety & Soundness. The DefenseStorm GRID™ is the only co-managed, cloud-based and compliance-automated solution of its kind, operating as a technology system and as a service supported by experts in FI security and compliance. It watches everything on a bank or credit union’s network and matches it to defined policies for real time, complete and proactive cyber exposure readiness, keeping security teams smart and executives accountable. FFIEC CAT and ACET requirements are built-in and automated, as can be other frameworks and an FI’s own policies, to achieve Active Compliance™. A Threat Ready Active Compliance (TRAC) Team™ augments a bank or credit union’s internal team to protect business continuity and skills availability while also ensuring cost-effective coverage and management. DefenseStorm is a NAFCU Services Preferred Partner for cloud-based cybersecurity. www.DefenseStorm.com