Matt Hale
Program Director, MATRIX
Director, School of Interdisciplinary Informatics
Associate Professor of Cybersecurity
Scaling and UP-skilling the Nebraska cyber workforce with MATRIX:VECTR
Today
-
Challenges and Opportunities
-
MATRIX and VECTR: WHat we are doing about it
-
Progress and Community Involvement
Challenges and Opportunities
(AKA why should you care)
The challenge
Figure (c) 2023 Tech Target, Inc commissioned by Splunk
The Opportunity:
Workforce Development
The Opportunity
Figure (c) 2023 Tech Target, Inc commissioned by Splunk
-> Why Cant Companies close
the skill gap?
Unfortunately
-> Training IN CYBER Is HARD
- highly technical skills
- numerous tools
Figure (c) 2023 Tech Target, Inc commissioned by Splunk
Training in Cyber is Hard
- highly technical skills
- numerous tools
Training in Cyber is Hard
- highly technical skills
- numerous tools
Training in Cyber is Hard
- highly technical skills
- numerous tools
Training in Cyber is Hard
- highly technical skills
- numerous tools
Training in Cyber is Hard
- highly technical skills
- numerous tools
Training in Cyber is Hard
What we are doing about it
(AKA why I'm here to talk to you)
Why UNO? >NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations / Defense (CAE-CO/CD)
- UNO is one of just 21 institutions with this designation
- We are among good company (e.g. CMU, ASU, US Air force academy, Naval postgraduate school, Auburn)
- Only CAE-CO in the region (up to Dakota State)
Why UNO? >NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations / Defense (CAE-CO/CD)
- UNO is one of just 21 institutions with this designation
- We are among good company (e.g. CMU, ASU, US Air force academy, Naval postgraduate school, Auburn)
- Only CAE-CO in the region (up to Dakota State)
Novice
Expert
Companies want folks to be here
Folks start here
Skills in cybersecurity
Moving up the skill gradient requires knowledge and practice
Current CYBER workforce development Model
Novice
Current CYBER workforce development Model
Expert
Lanes of skill advancement
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Skills in cybersecurity
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Current CYBER workforce development Model
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Workshops / exercises
paired mentorship
experience
Current CYBER workforce development Model
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Workshops / exercises
paired mentorship
experience
stackable modules
credential (e.g. CISSP)
Current CYBER workforce development Model
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
CYBER workforce development Model (observations)
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Workshops / exercises
paired mentorship
experience
stackable modules
credential (e.g. CISSP)
siloed, not mutually exclusive
requires hands on experiences for attack/defend skills
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
workforce development Model (observations)
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Workshops / exercises
paired mentorship
experience
stackable modules
credential (e.g. CISSP)
+ works with real data
+ highest skill ceiling
- can take a long time
- prone to groupthink
- hard to generalize
+ recognized credential
+ general knowledge
+ less groupthink
+ pedagogy expertise
+ expert mentorship
- opportunity cost barrier
- 4-6 years of time
- less modular
- "book" vs "real world"
learning
+ flexible and modular
+ deliverable online
+ short time commitment
+ industry credentials
- hard to generalize
- lowest skill ceiling
- lacks depth
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
But what if...
...We want all of this
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Workshops / exercises
paired mentorship
experience
stackable modules
credential (e.g. CISSP)
+ works with real data
+ highest skill ceiling
- can take a long time
- prone to groupthink
- hard to generalize
+ recognized credential
+ general knowledge
+ less groupthink
+ pedagogy expertise
+ expert mentorship
- opportunity cost barrier
- 4-6 years of time
- less modular
- "book" vs "real world"
learning
+ flexible and modular
+ deliverable online
+ short time commitment
+ industry credentials
- hard to generalize
- lowest skill ceiling
- lacks depth
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
This brings us to the
NebraskaCYBER MATRIX Project
and our Learning Platform (VECTR)
MATRIX: ML, AI, and Threat Response Initiative
for Cyber eXcellence in Nebraska
VECTR: Virtual Education for Cybersecurity, Threats, and Risk
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Workshops / exercises
paired mentorship
experience
stackable modules
credential (e.g. CISSP)
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Lanes of skill advancement
Class1
Class2
Class3
ClassN
undergrad degree
Class1
ClassM
graduate degree
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Workshops / exercises
paired mentorship
experience
stackable modules
credential (e.g. CISSP)
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Lanes of skill advancement
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Lanes of skill advancement
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
a new skill advancement enabler
#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
a new skill advancement enabler
#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Breaking silos and serving all cyber training audiences
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
a new skill advancement enabler
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
How can we serve everyone, regardless of their incoming ability levels?
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
Higher education (academic degrees)
On the job training / Internships
Certificates and micro-credentials
a new skill advancement enabler
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Baseline cyber competency threshold
#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Competency Platform
(Codenamed VECTR)
a new skill advancement enabler
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Baseline cyber competency threshold
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Competency Platform
(Codenamed VECTR)
Nano
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a new skill advancement enabler
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Baseline cyber competency threshold
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Operations Center (SOC)
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module
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#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Competency Platform
(Codenamed VECTR)
a new skill advancement enabler
Novice
Expert
Skills in cybersecurity
Baseline cyber competency threshold
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Operations Center (SOC)
Live-fire exercises
Data access portal
cyber threat intelligence
threat modeling
skills-based mentorship
expertise curation
use-centered solutioning
SOC as a Service
Nano
module
Nano
module
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Nano
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#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Competency Platform
(Codenamed VECTR)
a new skill advancement enabler
Novice
Expert
Baseline cyber competency threshold
Reimagining workforce development in CYBER
#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Operations Center (SOC)
Live-fire exercises
Data access portal
cyber threat intelligence
threat modeling
skills-based mentorship
expertise curation
use-centered solutioning
SOC as a Service
VECTR: AI-assisted skilling platform and content matchmaker
Nano
module
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module
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#NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Security Competency Platform
(Codenamed VECTR)
Progress and
Community Involvement
MATRIX SOC at PKI
*Graphic artist rendering
MATRIX SOC at PKI
*Graphic artist rendering
MATRIX SOC at PKI
*Graphic artist rendering
MATRIX SOC at PKI
*Graphic artist rendering
MATRIX SOC at PKI
*Status 01 Security Operations Center
MATRIX SOC at PKI
*Status 02 Cybersecurity Training Hub
VECTR Learning Platform
VECTR Learning Platform
NebraskaCYBER
NCITE
CTAL
MATRIX
CYBER Expertise
Terrorism Expertise
Nebraska ESUs
Public Utilities
State / Local Government
Small businesses
Other universities
...you...
NU ITS SOC
UNMC
CYBER
Expertise
NU SystEM Partners
Potential
External Partners
CYBER Workforce development
data sharing
Threat Intelligence
Freemium to Platinum partners
threat data
skill gaps
financial support
internships
OmniSOC
BIG10 data sharing
ILCI
(Oct'24-Jan.) Facility planning and Design
(Jun.) Facility Renovations started
(Apr.) Cyberengineer role filled
(Aug. 25th): Room 02 completed
(Sep.) First analyst intern cohort
(Late Sep.): SOC 01 completion (expected)
(Q4) Grand opening and VECTR Launch
Questions?
©2025 Matthew L. Hale
Matt Hale, PHD
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Associate Professor, Cybersecurity
Director, School of Interdisciplinary Informatics
Director, NebraskaCYBER
mlhale@unomaha.edu
twitter: X: @mlhale
What Kind of Projects?
What Kind of Projects?
Community Impact -
Nebraska GenCyber
~ 440 local students, 45 teachers regionally
> 80,000 views, 2500 students, and 75 teachers nationally