Attorney General Tim Griffin announces a $1 million grant for a cybersecurity program expansion at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 31, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)
Attorney General Tim Griffin on Thursday announced a $1 million grant to establish new research and educational resources for students who major in cybersecurity at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Using unrestricted lawsuit settlement funds, Griffin said the forthcoming Cyberspace Operations Research and Education (CORE) Center will be an opportunity for the university to grow its niche and commit to it long term.
“What goes on in this university on cyber is going to be helpful to Walmart, Tyson and Murphy USA, the massive companies that are going to be residing in Magnolia over one of the largest — if not the largest — lithium deposits in the world,” Griffin said. “We got a huge opportunity, folks.”
Griffin was joined by UALR Provost Ann Bain and associate professor of computer science Philip Huff for Thursday’s announcement, which was held on campus before several faculty members, staff and students. Officials did not say when the project would be completed.
The new center will allow students the space to work on sensitive projects in partnership with community leaders, law enforcement and industry mentors, Huff said.
“It will also enable us to scale our operation to match the increasing demand with plans to onboard more students and provide more hands-on service learning opportunities through our cybersecurity planning,” Huff said. “We’re deeply committed to driving cybersecurity education forward, not only for our students’ futures, but for the protection and prosperity of Arkansas.”
More than 100 students are currently enrolled in the university’s cybersecurity program, which is a recognized National Center of Academic Excellence in the field, Huff said.
One of those students, Cameron Jackson, attended Thursday’s announcement and said afterward that it was important to have infrastructure available for identifying cyber risks.
The university’s cybersecurity program launched four years ago, and Jackson is part of the first class that will graduate from it, he said. Jackson intends to pursue a master’s degree in cybersecurity at UA Little Rock, which he said likely means he will utilize the CORE Center in the future.
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Jackson said his current coursework includes studying risk management for local companies, which results in a security plan that identifies its strengths and weaknesses related to potential cyber attacks.
“In case there is an attack, you want to have a plan,” he said. “You wouldn’t want to run into a building with no exits. It’s a matter of making sure that everything is in place, and if something were to happen, you are in place.”
Jackson also noted the importance of establishing resources that protect the older generation, which he said receives attacks and is tricked “all the time.”
Bain recognized that the funding will help “educate and prepare cyber experts who will protect our state’s infrastructure, businesses and communities for years to come.”
Griffin said he hoped the university would also “double down” on its relationship with the U.S. Department of Defense, which has provided the school with a number of grants over the years.
“There’s a practical role for UALR leading in cybersecurity that relates to all of our homes — there’s [also] a national security role,” Griffin said. “If you think that all countries are behaving the same in cyberspace, you’re wrong.”
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