In recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Genesee Community College (GCC) and Delta College have collaborated to offer a free webinar focusing on the career opportunities in the ever-expanding cyber security industry from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of growth for jobs in information security analysts is projected at 18 percent through 2022 -- which is much faster than the average for all other occupations.

The webinar will feature a three-person panel discussing trends, opportunities and challenges facing those in cyber security careers. Panelist Joshua George is the instructor of Criminal Justice at Delta College. George has more than 12 years in federal law enforcement with focus on computer forensics and digital evidence. Panelist Mike Tarcan, currently serves as the information security manager at Ellucian. Tarcan focuses on security incident and threat management for a global cloud company. Panelist Kristopher Howery is an associate professor of Computer Science and Info Tech at Delta College. Howery founded the Cyber Defense Club that provides students with hands-on network defense experience. Howery also designed a multipurpose lab to teach security and network classes such as Cisco CCNA Security, Check Point, CCSA firewall, incident response and wireless security, to name a few. Additionally, he works in forensics under the networking track. Each panelist will share how they got started in the field, discuss what their security roles entail and answer questions from participants. 

Both GCC students and community members are encouraged to attend the webinar which will be broadcast at the GCC Batavia campus in room T102 on Thursday, Oct. 12 in the Conable Technoloy Building. Delta College students and guests are invited to view the webinar at Delta College's Main Campus in N007, located near the Redbrix Area. Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 12:50 p.m. to ensure seating. Remote access to the webinar is available on a limited basis.