GUEST COLUMN: How Our Students Can Help Bridge the Cybersecurity Talent Gap

GUEST COLUMN: Our students can close the cybersecurity talent gap

Published 8:35 am Thursday, November 6, 2025

The landscape of cybersecurity is evolving, but not always in ways that are easy to describe. Often, discussions around it revolve around complex technical language or the latest alarming news. Yet, beneath the jargon lies a pressing issue: the cybersecurity talent gap poses a serious national security risk. As we confront the alarming trends, it becomes necessary for educational institutions and organizations to pivot from traditional pathways to a more intelligence-driven approach to training.

At the Global Counter-Terrorism Institute (GCTI), where I have the privilege to serve as co-founder, we are committed to bridging this gap. Our mission transcends mere training; we aim to cultivate a workforce that serves as an asset to national security. Our Cybersecurity Diploma programs and the immersive CyberLab are designed to equip students with the skills they need to identify, neutralize, and preempt digital threats before they escalate into broader crises, whether economic or infrastructural.

Understanding the implications of demographic shifts is vital in this conversation. Areas like Jackson and Josephine counties are witnessing aging populations, with median ages of 42.5 and 47.6, respectively. Coupled with a loss of over 35,000 K-12 students in Oregon since 2019, these trends highlight a mismatch between education and workforce needs. Even higher education institutions, such as Southern Oregon University, have faced budget constraints, despite a slight increase in statewide public college enrollment of 3%.

The root of the problem is clear: there is a significant disconnect between student educational pathways and the urgent requirements of the job market. Our Cybersecurity programs are structured to directly align with frameworks like the NIST NICE Framework and GIAC Threat Intelligence Objectives. Through this design, we are forming educational pipelines that specifically target critical infrastructure security, unlocking pathways for students into pivotal roles.

The CyberLab stands apart from conventional IT programs by providing students with hands-on, real-world experience. Rather than simply teaching coding, we focus on vital activities such as incident response, digital forensics, and penetration testing. This practical training aligns seamlessly with roles in federal cyber operations, preparing students as Digital Evidence Analysts or Cyber Threat Intelligence Officers. Our approach recognizes that cybersecurity is not just about technology; it requires proactive engagement and acute investigative skills.

This urgency is underscored by the evolving nature of our economic landscape. For instance, data centers in areas like Prineville and The Dalles are rewriting the rules for rural economies. To support this transition, state policies like Oregon’s HB 3546 — the “POWER Act” — now offer separate energy pricing structures for large computing facilities. Such legislative moves highlight a growing recognition of cybersecurity as an essential component of our infrastructure.

The establishment of the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence exemplifies the necessary policy realignment, ensuring that educational initiatives meet the burgeoning demand for data security jobs, which have seen substantial growth since 2018. GCTI is thoroughly prepared to meet this challenge. With specialized tracks in areas such as Network Security & Defense, Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response, Cybersecurity Policy & Management, and Comprehensive Cybersecurity, we empower students to step directly into roles that bolster both regional and national safety.

Each course culminates in a Capstone Project designed to simulate the complexities of real-world operational scenarios. These projects incorporate critical aspects like risk analysis, policy implementation, and technical diagnostics, allowing students to apply what they’ve learned in meaningful contexts.

As we navigate these complexities, I invite school districts, state leaders, and economic development boards to engage with us in expanding this innovative educational model. The time for discussion about closing the cybersecurity talent gap is over; we must take decisive action and train the workforce capable of addressing it.

In a world where cyber threats can emerge and spread faster than our ability to respond, resilience must begin within our classrooms and extend into the CyberLab. The responsibility to address this national security challenge lies with us all.

Todd M. Price, MBA, Ph.D. is co-founder of the Global Counter-Terrorism Institute (GCTI), co-creator of the DTM (Dynamic Threat Mitigation) Model, and executive technology lead at MTI Holdings. A retired U.S. Army veteran and Southern Oregon University alumnus (B.A., MBA), he serves as Chair of International Security Studies at the Paris Graduate School. Dr. Price resides in Southern Oregon and advances intelligence-based security education through CyberLab and DTM deployments worldwide.