By Adam Dennis
Imagine being a young person who wants a career, of whatever type you can find, as a cybersecurity professional.
Related: Up-skilling workers to boost security
Although you were born with an agile and analytical mind, you have very limited financial resources and few, if any, connections that can open doors to your future ambitions.
If you were born in a country such as the US, Canada or the UK, you might have a wider range of options despite your financial limitations. But if you are born in Antigua, which is a small Caribbean island way out in the Atlantic, your options can be quite limiting. Even if you managed to get a range of certifications which show that you have some skills, finding a job in your field is extremely unlikely because the market is so small and undeveloped.
High concept
Now enter AntiguaRecon which was created to teach a group of young Antiguans cybersecurity skills so that it could offer cybersecurity services around the region and in the US, Canada, and elsewhere. It is not enough to just educate the students. Our proof of concept will come when we get them jobs too.
The founder, Adam Dennis (that’s me!), has experience running training organizations directed at young people AND a lot of experience running startups. In the late 1990s (yes, that long ago), I created a youth training program called YouthLink that worked with at-risk youth in Washington, DC. The program operated for five years and was covered by the Washington Post and a number of other news outlets. Over my career, I have created three non-profits and two SaaS for profits, one of which I sold in 2005.
