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Madison College cybersecurity grad Melissa Bryan was shocked by credit card notifications for six pizzas she didn’t order.
Panicked, she paid up and started a deep dive on the internet on how she could protect herself.
“I felt super helpless, and I didn’t know what to do. It was only $60, but it could have been thousands of dollars.” Bryan said. “That’s the reason I went back to school to study cybersecurity and work in the field, so I can help keep others safe.”
Like Bryan, Madison College cybersecurity students are dynamic and motivated to join the industry through many paths. It was a second career for Bryan, and now, she works at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections pulling data from technology for legal investigations and public records.
Madison College recently marked Cybersecurity Awareness Month by highlighting the students, alumni and faculty who have been part of the college’s 20-year Cybersecurity program legacy and innovative future. The Cybersecurity Associate Degree Program is constantly evolving to keep up with the ever-changing world of cybersecurity.
From student to cybersecurity business owner
From student to cybersecurity business owner, Madison College cybersecurity graduate Casey Cammilleri knows where to go to hire employees for his company Sprocket Security; he’s on pace to bring on talented people by the end of the year. "I go to Madison College when I’m looking for talent: people with real-life experience who can start contributing to the company on day one."
A cybersecurity legacy evolving into the future
In the Madison College Truax Campus’s state-of-the-art cybersecurity facilities, instructors can monitor students' progress as they work, offering solutions and learning tips.
“It’s like leaning over their shoulder and looking at their work,” Michael Masino told National Cyber Director Harry Cook, Jr. when he toured the campus on Aug. 2.
In 2004, Madison College was the first technical college in Wisconsin to offer an associate degree in cybersecurity. The program doesn’t rest on its longstanding legacy, but constantly evolves to stay in tune with technology, industry trends, and employers’ needs. A robust advisory board of local cybersecurity experts and employers, like Cammilleri, keeps Madison College current with the times.
Elizabeth Branney-Gant is also on the advisory board of the Madison College Cybersecurity program. She lends her expertise as Wisconsin Department of Health Services Deputy Chief Information Security Officer.
“I am proud of Madison College’s cybersecurity program, because they really listen to employers’ needs and if there are skills gaps,” Branney-Gant says. “I love that they are reacting to feedback and are putting in a complimentary program.”
With a projected need for more cybersecurity professionals, she recommends people join the exciting career. And when it’s recruiting time, she heads to Madison College instead of universities.
“I come to Madison College and recruit because their students are poised, intellectually sound, and they are helping to solve problems. It is one thing to be a strong technologist, but you need soft and hard skills. And Madison College graduates have both.”
One of those grads, Bryan, who pivoted from a cybersecurity victim (with the unexpected pizza credit card purchases) to a cybersecurity professional, is a Cyber Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) analyst at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, a position her Madison College instructor recommended she apply for.
Bryan's goal is to transition into cyber forensics, gathering legally admissible digital evidence for criminal and civil cases, motivated by her experience to “give people the justice they deserve.”
With a successful career shift from graphic designer to cybersecurity professional, she encourages others not to be intimidated by cybersecurity. "There are so many facets of the field that you can get into, you can find your passion and dive into it and completely immerse yourself and be successful," Bryan says.
“It’s all about taking a chance on yourself; you must believe in yourself and put in the work, but once you do that, you can do some amazing things. I still surprise myself every single day with what I have accomplished and where I’m going.”
Discover opportunities at Madison College’s Cybersecurity program.
“I come to Madison College and recruit because their students are poised, intellectually sound, and they are helping to solve problems. It is one thing to be a strong technologist, but you need soft and hard skills. And Madison College graduates have both.”
White House officials visit Madison College to highlight cybersecurity career opportunities and training
White House officials visited Madison College on Aug. 2 to highlight federal investments that will establish pathways to lucrative cybersecurity job opportunities, critical to national security and economic growth.
Neera Tanden, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Harry Coker, Jr., the National Cyber Director, visited the college’s cybersecurity classrooms and training facilities and spoke with Madison College cybersecurity students and alumni.
Coker emphasized the challenges in building the nation’s cyber workforce and how Madison College, as part of a strong local ecosystem, is helping to address the demand for cyber workers.
Presently, there are over 13,500 Wisconsin residents employed in cyber careers, with almost 5,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the state, and over 1,100 in the Madison area.
The collaboration between Madison College, local employers, high schools, and the Universities of Wisconsin, has been recognized for promoting the development of the local cyber workforce and education ecosystems. Director Coker praised the pathways created for Americans to enter the field of cybersecurity through hands-on learning, internships, apprenticeships, transfer agreements, and partnerships with local employers.
Madison College has been a leader in cybersecurity for over two decades and continues to evolve its program with new technology and apprenticeships. The college encourages veterans and underrepresented populations to pursue cybersecurity and other high-demand IT jobs. Additionally, each academic year, more than 1,500 high school students take Madison College courses, including cybersecurity.
Find more information about Madison College's IT Cybersecurity program.
