Access to cyber education plays a critical role in building a safer and more inclusive digital world. Education and training is often the starting point for both opportunity and long-term cyber resilience.
As we recognize Black History Month, it offers a moment to reflect on how access, representation, and skill-building continue to shape who enters cybersecurity and who benefits from its opportunities. In a field that impacts everyone, expanding access to education and training is not optional. It’s imperative.
Why Access and Representation Matter
Black History Month provides a meaningful opportunity to discuss how access to education, opportunity, and representation have shaped participation in the cybersecurity field. It also reminds us that while interest in cyber careers continues to grow, access to education, training, and visible pathways into the field has not always been equitable.
In cybersecurity, access and representation are strongly intertwined. When education and career pathways are limited, individuals who could thrive in the field may never pursue it. Expanding access to cyber education helps address these barriers by creating clearer entry points and supporting long-term skill development.
The 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study highlights that workforce challenges are increasingly driven by skills gaps rather than a lack of interest in cybersecurity careers. This reinforces the importance of training pathways that allow more people to build the skills needed to enter and advance in the field.
Why does this work matter? It ensures the cybersecurity workforce continues to grow in a more inclusive and representative direction.
How the Center Supports
The Center for Cyber Safety and Education, the charitable arm of ISC2, works to expand access to cyber education through scholarships, educational resources, and awareness initiatives that reach communities around the world. By supporting learners at different stages, the Center helps create pathways into cybersecurity that are grounded in education and opportunity.
The Center supports cyber education through programs designed to meet individuals where they are in their learning and career journeys.
One example is the Cyber Career Pathways program, which helps individuals explore cybersecurity career options, understand required skills, and identify education and training opportunities. By making career pathways more visible and accessible, the program helps demystify cybersecurity and supports informed decision-making for those considering entering the field.
The Center also offers 1MCC BOOST, a program designed to provide targeted support to individuals working toward the Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) certification. Through financial assistance and resources, BOOST helps reduce barriers that can prevent learners from advancing their skills and pursuing career opportunities in cybersecurity.
Together, these programs reflect the Center’s focus on expanding access, building confidence, and supporting long-term success through education.
Programs like these emphasize why access and representation remain central to the Center’s mission.
Impact in Practice
While interest in cyber careers is growing, access to education, visible pathways, and support still plays a critical role in who can enter and advance in the field.
In practice, access to cyber education shapes technical skills needed for development and an individual’s sense of belonging in the field. Representation matters not only for visibility, but for helping individuals see themselves in these spaces and feel empowered to pursue cybersecurity roles.
As one member of the Center’s Board of Trustees shared:
“Access to cyber education is the portal to opportunity, resilience, and economic power in a hyper-digital society. It enables individuals of all walks of life to be able to develop the skills required for protecting systems, data, and their communities. It is both a workforce imperative and a national security priority as far as I’m concerned.”
— Gwen Clavon, Center for Cyber Safety & Education Board Trustee
This perspective reflects why expanding access to cyber education remains central to building a more inclusive and resilient cyber community.
Looking Ahead
Expanding access to cyber education remains essential to building a safe and secure cyber world. Continued investment in education and awareness helps ensure that opportunities in cybersecurity are available to a broad range of individuals and communities.
By focusing on education, access, and inclusion, the Center continues to support pathways that strengthen both people and the digital ecosystems they rely on.
Get Involved
To learn more about the Center’s education programs and scholarships, explore available resources, or find ways to support, visit IAmCyberSafe.org.
