Information technology professionals in the Fredericksburg region will have access to locally based training to help them earn one of the industry’s most sought-after cybersecurity certifications, with registration open now.

UMW is leading a consortium of local governments and educational entities to offer a non-credit preparatory program for the Certified Information Systems Security Professionals, or CISSP, exam. The program – the only one of its kind in the region – is made possible by a grant from GO Virginia, a statewide economic development initiative, and King George County, as well as the Fredericksburg and Stafford County economic development authorities.

Recent high-profile data breaches at household-name businesses have greatly accelerated demand for cybersecurity skills among employers. The demand for cybersecurity workers has grown three times faster than that of overall IT jobs, according to a recent report from workforce research firm Burning Glass Technologies. The high demand also means that certified workers can command premium salaries. Read more. 

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of more than 5,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.