Advanced security cluster to offer new training programs

The Advanced Security Technology Research Alliance, a statewide cybersecurity industry group, has received a grant from the Trident Workforce Investment Board to sponsor two training programs in Charleston.

The $50,000 grant will fund a program on Service Oriented Architecture Security and on CompTIA Security+. These training initiatives will offer certification and focus on system security, access control and network infrastructure, among other topics.

“Cybersecurity requirements change quickly, so the work force must have access to training,” said Dan Neason, an Astra board member and vice president of Modus21 in Mount Pleasant. “This is why Astra has focused on training — we want to help keep the region ahead of competition.”

Charleston has become a hub of research and development, practical testing and pilot initiatives for a range of cybersecurity technologies. In May, ThinkTEC held a Homeland Security Innovation Conference at SPAWAR that focused on cyberterrorism and Charleston’s role in solutions.

With such a strong defense presence in the region, these courses will help strengthen the existing cybersecurity cluster and work force, Neason said.

Astra also recently launched a new Web site to disseminate information and raise the alliance’s profile.

Astra, one of the clusters in the New Carolina public-private partnership to increase South Carolina’s economic competitiveness, is a collaboration among leaders from business, academia, industry and technology.