Baltimore Cyber Range LLC Provides Department of Defense Mandated Cybersecurity Training

BALTIMORE, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Baltimore Cyber Range LLC (Baltimore Cyber) has launched a new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Certified Cyber Professional (CCP) training program for information technology professionals. The training addresses the Department of Defense (DoD) mandated cybersecurity assessments for all Defense Industrial Base (DIB) vendors. More than 300,000 DoD vendors must comply with the mandate. Nationwide, the new DoD requirements will significantly increase demand for CMMC-certified cybersecurity workers. CMMC-certified assessors command current salaries starting at $60,000. Baltimore Cyber worked in close coordination with the CMMC Cyber AB, the official accreditation body and the sole authorized non-governmental partner of the U.S. Department of Defense, to establish the new training program, which provides CMMC assessors with certifications and the knowledge and skills required to perform assessments.

"Rapidly-evolving cyber intrusions threaten our data and every aspect of our lives, and standards must be implemented to address these threats," said Michael Spector, Chief Operating Officer of Baltimore Cyber. "The DoD's decision to require its vendors to meet CMMC minimum cybersecurity standards helps ensure that our government's data will remain secure while creating an immense market demand for CMMC training. This requirement is expected to create more than 6,000 jobs nationwide, many of which are located in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area. Our newest training and placement programs were created specifically to prepare for these positions. We applaud the decision by the DoD to require assessments and upgraded certifications to thwart cyber intrusions."

The Maryland Department of Labor's EARN program has awarded a grant to Baltimore Cyber to provide this specialized training to 50 information technology employees. Baltimore Cyber will tap the EARN grant's Intrusion Countermeasure Education & Training (ICE-T) alumni to participate in this training. Training participants will receive 40 hours of instructor-led training, CMMC registration, a CCP test voucher, and a four-hour introduction to Baltimore Cyber's state-of-the-art Cyber Range.

The driving force behind this grant was the commitment from MNS Group, a Managed Services, Security, and Compliance provider in Belcamp, Md., to hire up to 50 graduates of this program. MNS Group is creating a business division dedicated to performing CMMC assessments for contractors to the DoD. Upon completion of Baltimore Cyber's CMMC training and successfully passing the CCP, graduates will be qualified to work in MNS Group's newly formed CMMC assessment compliance division.  Following completion of this pilot program, MNS Group intends to hire or place an additional 450 graduates.

"Our participation as a founding member of the EARN Intrusion Countermeasures Education and Training (ICE-T) employer consortium has given MNS access to a well-qualified and highly-skilled workforce comprising Baltimore Cyber's ICE-T trainees," said Toby Musser, CEO of MNS Group. "These professionals will enter the workforce fully equipped to be productive on Day One – a significant benefit to MNS Group."

Founded in May 2017, Baltimore Cyber is the first facility in the world to utilize a cybersecurity range specifically dedicated to cybersecurity workforce development. Baltimore Cyber provides participants with the most advanced cybersecurity strategies and techniques in an environment that simulates real threats in real time. Baltimore Cyber prepares unemployed and underemployed Marylanders for cybersecurity internships, apprenticeships, and fulltime employment. To date, BCR has trained over 1,000 students and placed more than 900 in cybersecurity positions. Baltimore Cyber is committed to increasing the diversity of Maryland's cybersecurity workforce and was recognized by the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland (CAMI) with the Diversity Trailblazer of the Year Award.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Belcamp, Md., MNS Group is a cybersecurity-focused IT partner that provides compliance and managed services support to government contractors and commercial clients to keep them secure and profitable and the nation safe.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Baltimore Cyber Range LLC