INSTITUTE, W.Va. – Officials with West Virginia State University (WVSU) joined together today to celebrate the opening of the WVSU Cybersecurity Clinic, the first clinic of its type in West Virginia.
The university received $1 million in grant funding and wraparound support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund in 2024 to establish the WVSU Cybersecurity Clinic.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of this cutting edge cybersecurity clinic,” said WVSU President Ericke S. Cage. “The field of cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing job sectors in today’s economy, and we are committed to helping meet the needs of the business community with highly trained professionals.”
Cybersecurity clinics at higher education institutions provide free digital security services to under-resourced organizations, similar to how law or medical schools offer free community clinics. The WVSU Cybersecurity Clinic gives WVSU students the opportunity to learn cybersecurity and AI skills in an effective, hands-on manner while simultaneously helping to protect vulnerable organizations and critical infrastructure, such as local small businesses, hospitals, schools, and energy grids, from cyberattacks.
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next 10 years. Currently, there are nearly 450,000 open cybersecurity jobs available in the U.S,and demand for cyber professionals is projected to grow 32% by 2033.
The WVSU Cybersecurity Clinic, together with the WVSU Cybersecurity Innovation Center (CIC), are dedicated to enhancing cybersecurity across critical infrastructure sectors against cyber threats. Its mission revolves around innovation, education, and collaboration, ensuring a resilient and secure cyber environment.
The WVSU Cybersecurity Clinic is one of 15 new clinics recently launched at higher education institutions across the country, thanks to a collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. In addition to $1 million in Google.org funding, the tech company is offering West Virginia State University volunteer mentorship from Google employees, Google Titan Security Keys, and scholarships for the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity. Learn more on Google’s blog and the Consortium’s website.
For more information contact WVSU Cybersecurity Center Director Dr. Ali Al-Sinayyid at ali.alsinayyid@wvstateu.edu or (304) 766-3391.
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