{"id":3066,"date":"2026-06-26T08:50:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=3066"},"modified":"2026-06-26T08:50:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:50:32","slug":"cybersecurity-training-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/cybersecurity-training-program\/","title":{"rendered":"At Oregon State, a real-world cybersecurity training program builds job-ready experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

OSU is training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals online by providing services, responding to active incidents for real clients<\/h2>\n

In cybersecurity classes at Oregon State University, students learn to spot threats, address them and fix underlying security vulnerabilities. All of these skills are critical to success after college.<\/p>\n

But what\u2019s it like to find a major vulnerability at the end of your shift, when the minutes are ticking by, and your clients need action? Who should help, and how can you communicate your findings clearly?<\/p>\n

Students studying computer science at Oregon State have learned how to answer those critical questions \u2014 and build job-ready skills \u2014 through the innovative practicum program ORTSOC. It\u2019s open to students pursuing the cybersecurity option of a bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science online<\/a> with Oregon State.<\/p>\n

Deepening expertise through experiential learning<\/h2>\n

ORTSOC is structured like a teaching hospital, providing students with immersive cybersecurity training experiences in one area before reassigning them to another.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked to some of our peers in veterinary medicine about how they design a curriculum, including clinical rotations,\u201d said Dave Nevin, associate professor of practice in the College of Engineering<\/a> at Oregon State. \u201cWe just thought that was a great model for training professionals, so we adopted that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Students move through rotations in network security monitoring and incident response, security engineering, assessment, threat intelligence and penetration testing. Every shift, they collaborate with a variety of clients \u2014 including local government agencies, K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations that lack in-house cybersecurity capacity.<\/p>\n

Through repetition and practice, students build a full complement of cybersecurity knowledge and gain experience that aligns directly with professional cybersecurity roles.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the start of the program in the fall, we are the ones guiding students through our incident response process,\u201d Nevin said. \u201cHalfway through the year, the students are doing that. They detect something and make a decision on whether or not to lead the response or assign to someone else. It\u2019s really fun to see that personal growth and their communication.\u201d<\/p>\n

ORTSOC benefits for students and the community<\/h2>\n

ORTSOC clients are typically small entities with one IT employee and a limited capacity to find or address cybersecurity issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have real clients and we\u2019re either their only cybersecurity protection or we\u2019re supporting their internal staff. The pressure is on, and that\u2019s important in providing students with real experience,\u201d said Nevin.<\/p>\n

Students spend 10 to 12 hours each week in supervised shifts, coordinating with peers and Oregon State faculty to respond to incidents as they arise.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents spend more time with us and with their classmates than they have in any other class they’ve taken since grade school,\u201d Nevin said. \u201cThey form very close peer bonds. They form great relationships with us. That is really beneficial.\u201d<\/p>\n

To preserve ORTSOC\u2019s collaborative model, Oregon State online students log in for their shifts at the same time as their Corvallis campus counterparts.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to make the students that are online feel like they\u2019re in the room with us, and I think that\u2019s crucial,\u201d Nevin said.<\/p>\n

From ORTSOC cybersecurity training to the workforce<\/h2>\n

For many roles in cybersecurity, \u201centry level\u201d still comes with the expectation of real-world experience. That\u2019s not always easy for students to gain. ORTSOC helps close that gap, giving students the opportunity to practice their skills in live environments.<\/p>\n

Former students have used their ORTSOC experience to both prepare for and land high-value cybersecurity jobs in Oregon and beyond. The lessons \u2014 and the ability to collaborate \u2014 remain after graduation thanks in part to networking opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a Slack channel our graduates can use to stay in touch with us. They can\u2019t see everything, of course, but they can still connect with us and advise students,\u201d Nevin said.<\/p>\n

After working closely with students for a year, Nevin says it\u2019s sometimes hard to see them graduate and leave Oregon State. Maintaining those connections has become what Nevin calls an \u201cunexpected benefit,\u201d creating an active community where students learn alongside graduates who share their on-the-job insights and advice.<\/p>\n

Learn more about ORTSOC<\/a> and its innovative cybersecurity training model at Oregon State.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Students studying computer science at Oregon State build job-ready skills through the innovative practicum program ORTSOC. It\u2019s open to students pursuing the cybersecurity option of a bachelor\u2019s degree in computer science online with Oregon State.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":3067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,6,9,678,672,676],"tags":[160,20,595],"class_list":["post-3066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-faculty","category-faculty-and-programs","category-learning-experience","category-why-osu","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-computer-science","tag-school-of-electrical-engineering-and-computer-science"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ORTSOC-blog-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-Ns","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1760,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/new-center-for-online-engineering-students\/","url_meta":{"origin":3066,"position":0},"title":"New center to advance online engineering education at Oregon State","author":"Keith Hautala","date":"May 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University College of Engineering and Ecampus have announced a plan to launch a new center on campus for exploring innovation in online engineering education.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ecampus computer science student, Mark Moore, works happily from his laptop.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1442,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-computer-science-more-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":3066,"position":1},"title":"Online computer science program now more online than ever","author":"Rachel Robertson","date":"June 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The setting for Oregon State's online computer science students may not have changed, but plenty is different this year for its students and faculty. 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