Foiling hackers, countering threats: Manitoba program arms students with cybersecurity skills

Winnipeg is no stranger lately to cybersecurity threats.

Institutions like universities, school divisions and car dealerships have experienced breaches only recently.

But a new program at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (MITT) is training students to combat these cyber threats.

“There’s always something going on,” said Brenden Yarmie, a 19-year-old cybersecurity student at MITT. “Like recently, there was the Pembina Trails outage which was a big deal.”

Yarmie says there’s news of an attack or threat every day.

“There’s all sorts of stories we’re hearing from different places in the world where there could be a bank that’s been hacked in, or there’s just smaller things going on. I just find it very curious.”

MITT’s Jared Miskimmin says the school’s new program, which kicks off this fall, will not only teach students how to be cybersecurity analysts — they’ll also practise ethical hacking and penetration testing.

“One of the reasons that we’ve decided to introduce the cybersecurity analyst program is because we’re seeing that these cyberattacks are becoming more prevalent and becoming more frequent,” said Miskimmin, the MITT program manager for information communication technology and skilled trades.

“Think of it like a group of students trying to get into a locked door, trying to use different keys, trying to find ways to breach that security.”

The cybersecurity analyst program is geared towards people with some IT foundational knowledge. The program ends with a practicum – MITT works with partners in the industry – so students are able to use their learning out in the field.

Miskimmin describes cybersecurity as one of the fastest growing industries in the IT landscape. There’s an estimated 38,000 open positions throughout Canada for cybersecurity professionals.

“I don’t know that there’s any organization that does not rely on some form of digital technology,” he said. “And when you rely on digital technology, there’s always a potential that that could be breached. Cybersecurity analysts can help prevent that from happening and safeguard your information.

“It keeps continuing to advance at a rapid pace.

“I’ve seen first-hand what can happen when your information is breached and what the consequences can be.”

Beverlie Stuart, MITT’s vice-president of business development and community initiatives, says it’s important schools keep up with changes in technology, especially with how reliant society has become on these advances.

“This is ever-evolving, this world of cybersecurity, so they have to be able to adapt and learn new skills,” Stuart said.

“Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated today.”

With a new batch of students gearing up for the new program, Stuart says the school is helping to give all industries the best chance it can to see a future safer from security breaches.

“I know our program, I know the students that are graduating and I feel so much safer knowing that they’re gonna be out in the workforce protecting us,” she said.

Yarmie’s ultimate goal is to be on the front lines of Canadian industries, protecting them from security breaches.

“If you’re interested in computers and like the idea, it’s always good to give it a go,” he said. “There’s so many different online resources that can help you learn and figure out if you might be interested in something like this.”

Starting Monday, MITT is waiving application fees until spring for all its programs.