The Benefits

CENTURION is currently partnered with seven academic institutions across the State of Colorado.  Our objective is to make the process of becoming an Academic Partner straightforward and non time-consuming.  By becoming an Academic Partner, your cybersecurity students will benefit in the following ways: 

Access to Cutting-Edge Technology: Allows institutions to access state-of-the-art security tools and technologies, enhancing the practical learning experience for students.

Research and Development Opportunities: Partnerships often provide unique opportunities for collaborative research and development in cybersecurity, enabling both faculty and students to engage in innovative projects and contribute to the advancement of the field.

Enhanced Curriculum Relevance: By integrating real-world cybersecurity tools and practices into the curriculum, academic institutions can ensure that their programs remain relevant and aligned with industry needs, better preparing students for the workforce.

Professional Networking: Collaborations with cybersecurity firms open up professional networking opportunities for both educators and students, facilitating connections with industry experts and potential employers.

Grants and Funding: Academic Partners often gain access to exclusive grants, scholarships, and funding opportunities provided by the partner organization, which can support further academic and infrastructural development within the institution.

After an initial meeting with the CENTURION leadership during which we will address any questions you might have, we will send you a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for execution. 

Prior to returning the MOU, you will need to appoint a dedicated Point of Contact (POC) for your institution who will serve as the POC for the duration of your Academic Partner agreement.

On receipt of a signed MOU, we will invite students to attend an in-person One-Day Intensive Onboarding and Training session in The Cybersecurity Center at Metropolitan State University Denver.

Prior to attending this Onboarding and Training, all students, or the Academic Partner, must have paid the $250 Registration, Onboarding and Training fee.  There are no other fees associated with this program. 

During Onboarding and Training, students will be equipped with the skills needed to analyze and investigate Suricata IDS effectively within a single day and with a focus on SOC theory and, practical hands-on experience.

Before disclosing Community Partner and Customer identities, all students, without exception, will be required to agree to the terms of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).  As an Academic Partner you are responsible for ensuring your students understand the significance of the NDA and, the monitoring of the Academic Partner students’ compliance. 

On completion of the One-Day Intensive Onboarding and Training, students will be able to write a ticket and assume the title of Tier 1 SOC Analyst In-Training for a period of 90-days. 

During this 90-day period, students are required to raise a minimum of 4 tickets per calendar month. After completion of the initial 90-days, students will be promoted to Tier 1 SOC Analyst and earn the opportunity to move to a Tier 2 Team Leader role after a period of 9-months.

In terms of Learning Outcomes whilst participating and on completion of their time with CENTURION, students will be able to demonstrate:

Thorough: Understanding of network and host security monitoring concepts.

Familiarity: With network use, host intrusion detection systems, netflow, and packet captures.

Use: Of a collector/analysis stack (e.g., ELK) to satisfy the responsibilities of a security analyst including configuration and analysis.

Use: Of academic research, open-source intelligence, and reporting skills around security analysis.