Cybersecurity firm opens Arizona headquarters

Cyber protection and edge data security company Acronis SCS opened its new headquarters recently, where it announced the launch of its Acronis SCSVets initiative.

The Scottsdale-based company celebrated the opening of its new headquarters by hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month, awarding the company’s Tribute to Service Art Contest winners. The Acronis SCSVets initiative aims to widen veteran access to cyber career opportunities with tailored, in-person training.

“We are committed to advancing Arizona’s position as a thriving tech hub and excited to accelerate our support for the U.S. public sector from our new headquarters,” Acronis SCS CEO John Zanni said in a statement. “In launching the Acronis SCSVets initiative, we are doing our part to narrow the cyber workforce shortage and provide America’s veterans, active military and military spouses with the skills they need to succeed in a demanding field.”

According to Acronis SCS, Arizona has a larger-than-average veteran population and more than 13,000 IT jobs open across the state. The SCSVets program will benefit the state by providing the veteran and military community training at zero cost.

The program is also unique in two key ways, according to the company.

First, the initiative prioritizes online learning and provides in-person training to members of Arizona’s veteran community that is tailored to their needs and experiences. Second, it is focused on connecting participants with Arizona’s small- and medium-sized businesses that are in immediate need of cybersecurity talent, because those businesses are less likely to be able to develop robust veteran-hiring programs.

“As a 26-year Air Force veteran, I am grateful for Acronis SCS’s commitment to help veterans and military spouses pursue tech careers. Military spouses in particular are an untapped group of resilient innovators who are significantly unemployed and underemployed even in this booming economy,” United States Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) said at the opening. “It is great to see Acronis SCS invest in Arizona and our vets and military families.”

Acronis SCS’s new facility is home to more than 30 employees focused on delivering cyber protection, around 20 percent of whom are U.S. military veterans. According to the company, it aims to expand its employee footprint across diverse fields including marketing, sales and network administration.

“Arizona continues to be a top destination for tech innovators like Acronis SCS,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said about the opening. “We are proud the company has chosen to call Arizona home, and we thank Acronis SCS for its continued investment in our state.”

The facility will house a community room that will be available for veteran-focused nonprofits in need of a meeting space. It will also serve as home to the Acronis SCSVets in-person career training workshops every quarter.

SCSVets pledges to provide at least 300 veterans, active duty military and military spouses with the credentials, skills and resources needed to pursue a career in cybersecurity within its first five years. It has a “robust network” of partners including New Horizons of Phoenix, the Arizona Coalition for Military Families and Veteran Transition Mission.