As cyber attacks become more common, Tougaloo College has established a cybersecurity clinic to protect and educate the underserved.
The clinic, which opened earlier this month, provides free cybersecurity services to entities that cannot afford them. Specifically, they are serving churches, healthcare entities, small businesses, and community organizations. The clinic also provides cyber awareness training for Tougaloo’s students, faculty, staff and community clients.
Demetria White, Tougaloo College’s director of Academic Computing and assistant professor of Mathematics, at the cyber security clinic on campus, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. Credit: Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today
“Every aspect of [how] we live, there’s always a cyber threat,” said Demetria White, director of the clinic. “And that’s a growing field that our students really need to be exposed to, they need to receive training in it.”
Tougaloo received a $1 million grant from the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund, which gives colleges and universities funding to start their own cybersecurity clinics. They serve their communities while giving students hands-on experience in the field.
Cybersecurity is a combination of strategies and practices to protect an entities’ data from internal and external attacks.
Sharron Streeter, the clinic’s client liaison, warned about the lack of cybersecurity awareness. “Most people think, ‘well, it’s not going to be me, I’m just a little fry.’ But, it can happen to anyone, and we know that one single breach can impact millions of people at a time.”
Cybersecurity attacks can compromise private information, such as addresses, bank accounts, and more. And they’re becoming more and more common. The 2023 Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report found that the number of firms experiencing cyberattacks rose to 53% that year. 36% of those were on firms with 10 or less employees.
Computer science majors Aeries Hoskins and Noel Ricks are on the clinic’s internal advisory committee. leading the clinic’s first cohort of interns. Applicants can be from any major, but must have taken the “Security Awareness” course and submit an application with a letter of recommendation. The final cohort will be revealed when the clinic opens for operation in January.
Ricks hopes that the clinic will expose more students to the field. “I hope that they can see that cybersecurity isn’t just for computer science, it’s for everyone,” said Ricks.
“People can log into your phone, take everything from you and then go on about their day. And you would never know that they ever did that,” said Hoskins.
The post Tougaloo College opens clinic to provide free cybersecurity to underserved entities appeared first on Mississippi Today.