Internship Program Leverages AttackIQ Academy Platform to Give Students Hands-On Cybersecurity Experience and Prepare them for the Workforce  

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 7, 2021 – AttackIQ®, the leading independent vendor of Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) systems, and the Virtually Testing Foundation (VTF), a California-based 501(c)3 e-learning nonprofit organization, today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to provide enterprise testing internships to college-enrolled students. Thousands of candidates applied for the program, which began April 1, and 309 were accepted after an extensive vetting process.

Coursework from AttackIQ’s Academy, which offers advanced cybersecurity training, modularized curriculum, and cyberrange labs all free of charge, will be the focal point of the 10-week program. Interns will be asked to take courses on operationalizing MITRE ATTACK, foundations of breach and attack simulation, and purple teaming. In addition to learning the coursework, students will also supply weekly testing reports that highlight any bugs or defects that could impede on end-user experience.

“AttackIQ’s Academy was launched to accelerate the practice of threat-informed defense and arm security practitioners with current, practical cybersecurity skills, and we are excited for these students to engage in our courses,” said Keith Wilson, Director of Cybersecurity Education at AttackIQ. “We hope that the material they learn will inspire them to pursue cybersecurity jobs in the future.”

Outside of the enterprise testing assignment, interns will also learn how to build successful social media campaigns for VTF and AttackIQ and will be presented with opportunities to develop and refine their networking and professional skill set, including “soft skills” such as time management, teamwork, written communication, and problem-solving.

“VTF gave me immense insight into how an employee should be working in corporate; being a professional is beyond just possessing the latest technical skills,” said Selvin Paul, former intern. “This experience has led to my overall development, and I am thankful to VTF for providing me this golden opportunity.”

According to a study from the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and independent industry analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), 70 percent of organizations report being impacted by the cybersecurity skills gap. Interestingly, 36 percent of respondents reported that their organizations should offer more cybersecurity training, while 29 percent said their company needed to provide significantly more education opportunities.

“VTF started this internship to combat the cybersecurity skills shortage by giving students an outlet to take what they are learning in school and turn it into real-world, hands-on experience in addition to refining their professional and networking skills,” said Victor Monga, vice-chairman of the board at the Virtually Testing Foundation. “AttackIQ and the VTF each share a community-focused mindset and dedication to serving the cybersecurity community, which made this an ideal partnership.”

For the latest internship announcements, visit the Virtually Testing Foundation’s Linkedin and Twitter.

Visit AttackIQ Academy’s website to learn how to improve cybersecurity effectiveness with free courses taught by cybersecurity practitioners at the cutting edge of the field.

About AttackIQ

AttackIQ, the leading independent vendor of breach and attack simulation solutions, built the industry’s first Security Optimization Platform for continuous security control validation and improving security program effectiveness and efficiency. AttackIQ is trusted by leading organizations worldwide to plan security improvements and verify that cyberdefenses work as expected, aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework. The Company is committed to giving back to the cybersecurity community through its free AttackIQ Academy, open Preactive Security Exchange, and partnership with the MITRE Engenuity. For more information, visit www.attackiq.com. Follow AttackIQ on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About Virtually Testing Foundation

Virtually Testing is a California- based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our mission is to serve a cybersecurity-focused community by organizing speaker events, hands-on workshops, conferences, etc. We have developed a special internship program to allow individuals to leverage our community and learn about cybersecurity and perhaps take a life of career swing. We are offering the community an opportunity to develop cybersecurity skills or learn from scratch to successfully access a competitive trending industry. VT also mentors and trains their interns to be in leadership and management roles by sharing real-world experiences and practicing through decision-making exercises. Our intern program can adapt to interns’ ambitions and commitment. Virtually Testing also provides fiscal sponsorship, governance, board advisors and technical resources for new communities or established non-profit organizations. For more information, visit virtuallytesting.com/ and follow Virtually Testing Foundation on Linkedin and Twitter.