The Technology Association of Oregon and NW Cyber Camp are excited about the successful passage of Oregon House Bill 2049 through the Legislature, marking a significant milestone in addressing the state's cybersecurity workforce gaps. The bill establishes the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, a collaborative initiative led by Portland State University, Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon. It also provides essential funding for various workforce development programs, including NW Cyber Camp, a Certification Fund for Community Colleges, and OSU's Research and Teaching Security and Operations Center.
With an initial funding allocation of $4.9 million, the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence aims to foster collaboration among the public sector, private sector, and education sector in addressing the persistent gaps in critical cyber defenses and workforce within the state. By coordinating, funding and providing cybersecurity workforce development, education, awareness and training, the center will support organizations across Oregon. This includes regional and local governments, special districts, K-12 school districts and libraries.
Passage and funding of this bill represent years of advocacy by TAO and our partners as part of a key initiative to address increasing cybersecurity attacks that impact all Oregon businesses, organizations, and citizens, not just the tech sector. We’re pleased to see Oregon take the first steps to coordinate efforts to make progress on these issues.
In addition to establishing the center, House Bill 2049 allocates funding to expand several existing cybersecurity workforce development programs such as NW Cyber Camp, a prominent high school cybersecurity summer educational program. The camp, currently held at OSU, UO, Mount Hood Community College and Portland Community College, will expand its reach to additional universities and community colleges statewide. The bill also supports the expansion of the program to provide year-round events, ensuring a continuous pipeline of cybersecurity talent.
House Bill 2049 further supports the expansion of the OSU Oregon Research and Teaching SOC, an experiential-learning program integrated into OSU's Computer Science degree program. ORTSOC provides students with hands-on cybersecurity professional experience by working under the guidance of cybersecurity professionals to deliver services to vulnerable local governments and schools.
Recognizing the financial barriers faced by community college students seeking professional certification exams, House Bill 2049 expands a program currently known as the Mount Hood Community College Certification Fund. This fund aims to provide financial assistance for these exams, making high-paying jobs in the industry more accessible to students across Oregon, and will expand to additional schools with House Bill 2049 funds.
While House Bill 2049 represents a significant step in Oregon's efforts to bolster its cybersecurity defenses and address workforce gaps, it falls short of fully funding all of the center's programs, including assistance for local governments and districts with IT and cybersecurity modernization. However, the coalition supporting this bill, including TAO's advocacy representing numerous local governments, schools and businesses, remains committed to pursuing additional funding and programs to tackle critical issues in cybersecurity.
The passage of House Bill 2049 is a remarkable achievement that underscores Oregon's commitment to strengthening its cybersecurity ecosystem. NW Cyber Camp and TAO extend their appreciation to all parties involved in advancing this vital legislation and look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to further enhance Oregon's cybersecurity landscape.
This is part of a regular guest column written by the Technology Association of Oregon in collaboration with Mission North. If you are interested in submitting a guest post please email Malia Spencer at mspencer@bizjournals.com.
