The National Security Institute’s Cyber and Tech Center (CTC) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School and Howard University School of Business (HUSB) receive $1 million from Google to launch Cybersecurity Clinic
In collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, Google.org will provide funding, volunteers and in-kind support to establish the NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic
Arlington, Virginia [June, 5 2024] – The National Security Institute’s Cyber and Tech Center (CTC) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School and Howard University School of Business (HUSB) have been selected to receive $1 million in support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish the NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic. The funding from Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, is part of a $25 million collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.
Why are Cybersecurity Clinics Important?
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 new NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic will give students from George Mason and HUSB 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 non-profit organizations, from cyber attacks.
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, including over 90,000 cybersecurity jobs across the Washington metropolitan area, and demand for cyber professionals is projected to grow 32% by 2033. To ensure that communities, critical infrastructure, and businesses big and small across the U.S. are secure, we need a skilled, diverse and AI savvy cybersecurity workforce.
About the NSI CTC-HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic
The NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic is a jointly developed and run multidisciplinary clinic that educates and trains students from both universities on cybersecurity in a classroom and clinical setting. Thanks to the generous support of Google, the Clinic will be able to provide students critical hands-on practical experience from faculty, lecturers, and mentors, enabling them to provide direct cybersecurity assistance to public critical infrastructure organizations, including state and local governments, K-12 schools, utilities, public hospitals, and small businesses within the Washington metropolitan area – all of which are facing a barrage of cybersecurity threats without the resources to address these threats.
The Washington metropolitan area is not only a thriving tech hub, but it also houses numerous universities and other educational institutions that are training the next generation of cybersecurity practitioners. The NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic seeks to ensure that tomorrow’s workforce is diverse, capable, and motivated to strengthen the overall cybersecurity resilience of our broader communities.
“Scalia Law is thrilled to be partnering with the Howard University School of Business and Google.org on this important effort to educate young leaders and drive positive cybersecurity outcomes in the local community,” said Ken Randall, Allison and Dorothy Rouse Dean and George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law at the Scalia Law School.
“The Howard School of Business (HUSB) is very excited to collaborate with George Mason University on this initiative. I believe we bring a great deal of knowledge to this space and have been working on innovative cybersecurity research projects for a number of years in collaboration with several government agencies. This funding from Google for a new cybersecurity clinic allows both institutions to extend our efforts to support workforce development in the region and increase exposure to this technology. The work of the jointly developed NSI CTC-HUSB clinic promises to be very impactful in addressing an important educational need in a critical technology area,” said Dr. Anthony D. Wilbon, Dean of the Howard University School of Business.
“The NSI Cyber and Tech Center at George Mason University and Howard University School of Business are thrilled to receive support from Google to launch a new cybersecurity clinic that will instruct and provide hands-on training to students from both universities on cybersecurity, enabling them to provide critical services to under resourced organizations across the Washington metropolitan area,” said Jessica Jones, Deputy Executive Director of the National Security Institute. She added, “Both universities have deep ties to cybersecurity and innovation – from expert faculty to students eager to tackling tomorrow’s technology challenges – and the jointly developed NSI CTC-HUSB clinic will be a great step forward to broadening and diversifying the technology education pipeline in the DMV.”
“The world is in a moment where emerging technologies, like AI, are creating both new opportunities and threats in the world of cybersecurity,” said Heather Adkins, VP of Security Engineering at Google. “It’s essential that we invest in growing a strong, diverse and widespread cybersecurity workforce to help protect everyone – from critical infrastructure to small businesses and schools. The 15 clinics that we’re helping to establish serve a wide variety of students across all corners of the U.S. and we’re excited to see the impact they’ll have in their local communities.”
“Google’s transformative investment is catalyzing cybersecurity for the public good,” says Ann Cleaveland, co-founder and co-chair of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics and Executive Director of the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. “We congratulate the recipients and applaud these awards, which propel forward the vision of the Consortium to establish a cybersecurity clinic in every U.S. state by 2030.”
The NSI CTC – HUSB Cybersecurity Clinic is one of 15 new clinics set to launch in 2024 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 support, the tech company is offering NSI CTC and HUSB 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.
The announcement builds on Google’s 2023 support for 10 clinics, part of a combined commitment to launch 25 Google-supported cyber clinics nationwide by 2025. With the latest round of funding, Google.org has now committed more than $25 million toward creating the diverse and AI- and digital-security savvy workforce needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure from cyber-attacks.
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About the National Security Institute’s Cyber and Tech Center
The NSI Cyber and Technology Center (CTC) advances American technology leadership and engages policymakers on issues at the intersection of technology and national security. Its mission is to promote – through dialogue with experts, engagement with policymakers, and cutting-edge research – American technology leadership and to tackle critical innovation, cyber, and emerging technology challenges.
NSI CTC accomplishes its mission by leveraging its vast network of technology and national security professionals and practitioners to produce cutting-edge research and policy recommendations, and to engage with leading policymakers.
About the Howard University School of Business
With dynamic academic departments, groundbreaking centers of excellence, esteemed faculty, award-winning programs, and over 8,000 alumni across the globe, the Howard University School of Business continues to be ranked among the top business programs in the nation.
Students and faculty choose the Howard University School of Business because it provides in-depth classroom instruction, real-world experience, expert speakers from a range of backgrounds, access to global industry leaders, and a commitment to research and publication.
About the Scalia Law School
The Antonin Scalia Law School was founded in 1972 as the International School of Law in Washington, DC. In 1979 it merged with George Mason Law school and was named after the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016. The school is located in Arlington, Va. and is ranked #28 nationally by US News—#3 among all 16 schools in Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland. The school offers JD, LLM, and JM degrees and is home to seven nationally acclaimed centers, including the Law and Economics Center, the National Security Institute, and the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State.
About the George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolled more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship.