A career in cybersecurity is now a little closer for a group of students from Del Rio High School in Texas, thanks to the Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy and the dedicated employees and teachers who put the curriculum into action.
The program teaches students fundamental cybersecurity skills while also laying the groundwork for future roles and opportunities in the industry. The Palo Alto Networks course included a test and certificate earned by the students, and it was paired with a school district program called Project Lead The Way, which is aimed at fostering interest in STEM careers.
“By offering this program, we gain a better educated user and possibly future cybersecurity engineers as we fight to achieve our goal of a more secure digital world,” said Lalo Ruiz, Senior Manager, Consulting Services at Palo Alto Networks. “I want to ensure that our next generation and future generations of digital citizens have better skills to navigate day-to-day functions safely.” In addition, I want to give students from my hometown other career options.”
“I am so grateful for the opportunity Palo Alto Networks has given my students,” said Del Rio High School teacher John Reed. “It opens doors and pathways that students would not have otherwise.”
The course educated students on the current cybersecurity landscape and assisted them in recognizing and potentially mitigating attacks on enterprise networks and mission critical infrastructure. Students also learned how to set up and configure security zones, authentication, and policies on a next-generation firewall for the first time.
Working with the students was a labor of love for Ruiz, a Marine who spent years discovering and turning his passion for computers and cybersecurity into a career.
“By providing this curriculum to Del Rio students, we are opening up other careers in the digital space,” Ruiz explained. “I want to reach out to students who are dissatisfied and unsure of their calling.” I’d like to present them with another excellent option. I’d like to see the academy program and Del Rio High School produce the next generation of CIOs and CTOs.”