Cybersecurity firm to set up operations on Saipan

A U.S.-based cybersecurity company is set to launch a Security Operations Center on Saipan in January 2020, beginning with the hiring of 15 information security analysts.

This development, which is being brokered by the CNMI Department of Commerce, the CNMI Department of Labor and the Latte Training Academy Inc., is being touted as the start of the cybersecurity industry in the CNMI.

“The firm reached out to the Latte Training Academy through its affiliation with CompTIA and began discussions on the ability to support its need for entry level information security analysts. These positions are intended to serve as frontline network analysts for the firm’s clients. Given the security concerns of their customer base, the organization has opted to open a CNMI location rather than outsource the work. The need to source a U.S. labor market was a key component to their interest in the CNMI, but our geographic location on the opposite side of the international dateline was beneficial as it allows them to provide coverage to supplement their U.S. offices” said LTA director Ed Arriola Jr.

The firm does require that applicants are at least 18 years of age at the time of application and have attained their CompTIA certification through the Latte Training Academy. The organization will hire qualified candidates on a full-time basis and offers career progression, which may require relocation to various client locations throughout the United States and Europe. The CNMI Security Operations Center team will be on-island the week of Dec. 9, 2019 for a site visit and meetings with potential candidates referred to them through the Latte Training Academy.

“This is truly an exciting opportunity for the CNMI to develop a clean industry which can serve as a proof of concept for others in the tech industry. We are not expecting that this will be to the scale of the typical Information Technology offshore operations, but rather a clean and sustainable emerging industry. With the redundancy of our fiber optic cables from both Docomo Pacific and IT&E, it is fantastic opportunity to leverage our workforce to engage in the future of the global economy,” said Commerce Secretary Mark Rabauliman.

At the onset of discussions, the firm was presented with the opportunity to establish itself as a partner of the Department of Labor WIOA and U.S.DOL Apprenticeship program. As the CNMI’s Department of Labor is leading the way to establish an apprenticeship program in the jurisdiction, Benavente jumped at the chance to leverage their business needs with the CNMI’s workforce strategy.

“DOL WIA’s director David Attao has been a key advocate in establishing our apprenticeship strategy and work experience programs. Given the course of the discussion with the firm, he recognized that their training and on-boarding plan was directly in-line with the mission of DOL WIA and the U.S.DOL Apprenticeship State Expansion program. We will continue to work with our partners at the Latte Training Academy to bring this tremendous opportunity to fruition. This effort is exactly the push that this administration has worked so diligently to produce. While we are still in beginning phases, to be able to generate the interest within this industry is extraordinary,” said Labor Secretary Vicky Benavente.

To learn more about the opportunity, interested parties are encouraged to contact the CNMI’s Department of Labor’s WIOA office at (670) 664-1708. To learn more about the Latte Training Academy’s CompTIA program, visit www.lattetrainingacademy.org. (PR)