The signs of the attack were subtle. Just an odd Internet address poking around the network and probing for weaknesses. If it went unchecked, though, the hackers could create big problems, like bringing down the network or worse.
On this day, about 30 trainees in a San Antonio-funded jobs program were on guard to defend the simulated network from would-be intruders.
"We want to give you guys the practice of simulating an attack and responding to an attack, so when it happens on the job we're not freaking out," said Joe Mallen, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Cyber Manufacturing Innovation Institute. "We're not going to do that, but it's important that we do it in a way where we replicate an environment like you're on the job."
Mallen led the so-called Cyber Range Live Attack at UTSA for participants in the city's $200 million Ready to Work program.
Launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the costly and controversial program trains residents on the skills they need to get higher paying jobs. So far, 3,149 participants have landed jobs out of 5,176 who've completed a training track.
Most job placements under the program have been for truck drivers, medical and nursing assistants and customer service representatives.
Only 316 of 741 people who've completed the information technology or cybersecurity training have gotten jobs in the industry. About 260 of those roles met the Ready to Work guidelines for wages of at least $15 an hour, an annual salary of at least $31,200 and access to benefits.
According to Ready to Work, 2,081 people are currently enrolled in the track.
The training was a partnership between UTSA and Greater:SATX, the city's economic development office, to expose the cohort of IT and cyber workers to see what an attack could look like.
"We want to get you to when you sit down with an employer and they ask, 'Tell me about your training' you tell them about the different attacks that you respond to," Mallen said. "Because there's nothing better than being able to have that conversation about all the attacks that you've gone through."
During the session, he demonstrated cybersecurity tools such as Palo Alto Firewalls, QRadar, Zenoss and remote desktop connections to defend the simulation's dummy "corporate grade network" from intruders. Detecting an attack is just the beginning of a response for computer security workers.
"You have to detect the attack, you have to respond to the attack and we have to talk about prevention and mitigation," Mallen said. "Why did this happen? How do we avoid this from happening again?"
While IT and cyber jobs can pay well, the market for entry-level workers has tightened in Cyber City, USA. Industry changes spurred by artificial intelligence and market uncertainty under the Trump administration have cooled hiring in the sector, which is a major employer in San Antonio.
Of the nonfarm industries tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in San Antonio and New Braunfels' "information" industry shrank by 3.5 percent between 2024 and 2025.
"Our area has seen a slight slowdown for San Antonio Ready to Work participants in IT/Cyber security and some professional services where the market is more saturated at the entry level, and businesses are focusing more on employees in jobs that are mid-level or higher," said Luke Simons, spokesman for the program.
The slowdown was one of the motivators for the cyber attack training, according to Simon. He said the average salary of those who've landed jobs in the field have an average salary of $49,547, up from $10,249 when they enrolled in Ready to Work.
Chloe Bruno, 22, a Texas A&M San Antonio senior in the Ready to Work program, said she hopes the training will help her land a job or internship with a federal entity like the National Security Agency, FBI or military.
She's been in Ready to Work for two years and said the program is "preparing me to be the best that I can be, whether that's interview-wise or skill-wise, so that I can get a job that I want."
Six employers from local companies watched the session and talked with the trainees.
Staci Beane, CEO of Tekgration LLC, was there to learn more about the UTSA program for potential future partnerships. She said her San Antonio-based company wants to use the local workforce.
"I understand the challenge, and I understand the struggle," she said. "So, if I can get an opportunity to do a little mentoring and then, at the same time, grow my company and provide good services — it's a win, win."
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