Google funds EWU cybersecurity clinic

$1 million grant to train 132 students

Clare McGraw, Cheney Free Press | Last updated Jun 05, 2024 1:5pm0

CHENEY — Eastern Washington University has been awarded a $1 million grant from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish a new cybersecurity clinic, the university announced Wednesday.

The funding, part of a $25 million collaboration between Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, will provide EWU with resources, volunteers, and in-kind support to launch the clinic.

“Eastern is thrilled to receive this funding from Google to help us continue our work in this fast-growing field,” said Stu Steiner, director of Eastern’s Cybersecurity Program. “Establishing the clinic will allow EWU to formalize its outreach efforts and specifically work toward strengthening cybersecurity and cyber hygiene at rural or under-resourced public agencies in our region.”

The EWU Cybersecurity Clinic will offer free digital security services to under-resourced organizations, similar to how law or medical schools offer free community clinics. It aims to protect local small businesses, rural municipalities, hospitals, schools, the energy sector, and public water/wastewater systems from cyber-attacks.

The clinic will provide EWU students with hands-on opportunities to learn cybersecurity and AI skills. Students enrolled in credit-based clinic courses will learn to conduct cyber risk reviews and audits for clients and develop topic-based training materials. The curriculum will cover technical skills, business communication, professionalism, and report writing. Notably, students do not need to be Cybersecurity or Computer Science majors to enroll.

Heather Adkins, VP of Security Engineering at Google, emphasized the importance of investing in cybersecurity education. “The world is in a moment where emerging technologies, like AI, are creating both new opportunities and threats in the world of cybersecurity,” Adkins said. “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.”

Through the grant, the EWU clinic is set to train 132 students and support 48 clients over six years.

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, lauded Google’s investment. “Google’s transformative investment is catalyzing cybersecurity for the public good,” Cleaveland said. “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.”

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next decade. With nearly 450,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., including 7,651 in Washington State, and demand for cyber professionals projected to grow 32 percent by 2033, the need for a skilled, diverse, and AI-savvy cybersecurity workforce is critical.

EWU is one of 15 new clinics set to launch in 2024 at higher education institutions across the country, thanks to the collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. In addition to the $1 million grant, Google is offering EWU volunteer mentorship from Google employees, Google Titan Security Keys, and scholarships for the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity.

This latest funding builds on Google’s 2023 support for 10 clinics, part of a combined commitment to launch 25 Google-supported cyber clinics nationwide by 2025. Google.org has now committed more than $25 million toward creating the diverse and skilled workforce needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency have designated EWU as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Eastern is the only four-year institution in eastern Washington to earn this classification.