The pre-conference workshops for this year will take place on Sunday June 1, 2025, from 1 to 5 p.m. These workshops are an integral component of the NICE Conference, offering focused discussions on specific topics and issues in a small group setting.
To participate in a workshop, there is an extra fee, and registration for the main conference is mandatory. Moreover, attendees can only sign up for one four-hour workshop, as each workshop consists of two sessions with a networking break in the middle.
Supporting Small Business Cybersecurity Through Learner-Centered Services and Experiences
While cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development programs often work well to meet the requirements of large enterprises, they are not designed to meet the needs of small businesses (SMBs) that are dependent on IT or cybersecurity generalists or outsourced service providers. This workshop will highlight a few different innovative and promising solutions that serve to both benefit small- and medium-sized businesses and provide hands-on learning experiences for learners and job-seekers, including:
- Using college- or university-based cybersecurity clinics
- Establishing student-operated Security Operation Centers (SOCs)
- Employing apprentices to form Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs)
- Creating career pathways for cybersecurity practitioners at small enterprises
Workshop will include a discussion of materials needed for SMB Cybersecurity such as a Quick Start Guide for the NICE Framework.
The Cybersecurity Educator Shortage
The cybersecurity workforce shortage persists and that includes educators. This workshop will frame known barriers and innovative solutions that address the cybersecurity educator recruitment and retention challenge, and then engage participant leaders from academia, government and industry in further focused solution-oriented discussions/exercises.
The Impact of AI on the Cybersecurity Workforce
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the cybersecurity workforce, reshaping job roles, skill demands, and operational efficiencies. While AI-driven automation enhances security operations, it also introduces new risks, such as AI-powered cyber threats, ethical concerns, and the unintended consequences of poorly adopted tools. This session will explore how AI is augmenting the cybersecurity workforce and what it truly takes to build a resilient, AI-empowered team. We’ll break down the top workforce challenges to AI adoption—ranging from lack of literacy and tool overload to integration issues and cultural resistance—and provide practical strategies for overcoming them. Attendees will receive a workbook to help map their organization’s readiness and leave with actionable solutions and example use cases they can implement immediately. Whether you’re a security professional, educator, or policymaker, this session will equip you with the insight and frameworks needed to lead confidently in the AI era.
Global Perspectives on Workforce Resilience: Building Adaptive Cybersecurity Teams for Tomorrow’s Challenges
The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace with threats becoming increasingly sophisticated while the global talent shortage grows more acute. Within the framework of this year’s conference theme ‘Climbing Higher: Educating & Sustaining a Resilient Cybersecurity Workforce’, this workshop aims to address talent retention challenges by bringing together international perspectives on building resilient cybersecurity workforces capable of adapting to evolving threats and vulnerabilities. The session builds upon previous NICE Conference discussions while advancing the conversation toward practical, collaborative solutions for a global challenge that affects organizations across all sectors and regions.