Cyber Center of Excellence, California State University San Marcos, National University and San Diego State University Receiving $1 Million From Google to Launch Cybersecurity Clinic

By: Cyber Center of Excellence via Business Wire

June 04, 2024 at 12:00 PM EDT

In collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, Google.org will provide funding, volunteers and in-kind support to establish the San Diego Cyber Clinic.

Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), National University and San Diego State University (SDSU) have been selected to receive $1 million in grant funding and wraparound support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish the San Diego Cyber Clinic. The funding from Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, is part of a $25 million collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240604263036/en/

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 San Diego Cyber Clinic will give CSUSM, National University and SDSU 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., including 37,667 in California and 5,092 in the San Diego region, and demand for cyber professionals is projected to grow 32% by 2033. To ensure that communities, critical infrastructure and businesses, both big and small, across the U.S. are secure, there is a distinct need for a skilled, diverse and AI savvy cybersecurity workforce.

“The San Diego region is leading the charge with more than 1,000 cyber firms, top ranked education and research institutes, and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR). This collaborative ‘Ecosystem in Action,’ as highlighted in the White House National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, is helping seed and diversify the talent pipeline, which is critical to advancing our country’s homeland security,” said Joseph Oregon, Chief of Cybersecurity, Region 9, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

“The San Diego Cyber Clinic, led by Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), CSUSM, National University and SDSU, is honored to be a recipient of the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund. Our Clinic will arm students with hands-on training and cyber career pathways, while supporting small businesses and under-resourced organizations to help grow an inclusive cyber workforce and create a more secure digital community for all,” said Lisa Easterly, President & CEO, CCOE.

The San Diego Cyber Clinic is a unique collaboration between Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE), CSUSM, National University and SDSU. The only multi-institution clinic in the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics with a nonprofit industry partner leading the charge is training students to service clients across the public and private sectors in the San Diego region. Through engagement of key industry, academic, and government stakeholders, including the City-led and U.S. DHS funded San Diego Regional Cyber Lab, the San Diego Cyber Clinic aims to grow an inclusive cyber workforce, increase digital security for all and serve as a model for regional collaboratives.

“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."

San Diego Cyber 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 funding, the tech company is offering the San Diego Cyber Clinic 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 cyberattacks.

About Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE)

Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE) is a San Diego-based nonprofit that mobilizes industry, academia and government to grow the regional cyber economy and create a more secure digital community for all. CCOE is celebrating 10 years of cultivating a diverse workforce, promoting cybersecurity across all sectors, addressing infrastructure challenges and positioning San Diego as a global hub for collaborative cybersecurity innovation. sdccoe.org

About California State University San Marcos (CSUSM)

Building on a 35-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to student success fueled by innovation, education and community partnerships. Located on a 306-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange counties. The university enrolls nearly 16,000 students. It ranks among the national leaders in social mobility, increasing the opportunities and improving the life trajectories of underrepresented students. As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014 — a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. csusm.edu

About National University

National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students by providing accessible, affordable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diego’s largest private nonprofit university, NU offers 190+ online and on-campus programs, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in cybersecurity, with flexible four-week and eight-week classes and one-to-one graduate education models designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to 130,000 learners served per year—50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students—and 230,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, health care, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. Additionally, NU is recognized as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency. To learn more about National University’s new possibilities in education including next-generation education, value-rich education, and whole human education, visit NU.edu.

About San Diego State University (SDSU)

San Diego State University is a major public research institution that provides transformative experiences for its more than 37,000 students. SDSU offers bachelor’s degrees in 97 areas, master’s degrees in 87 fields and 25 doctoral programs, with additional certificates and programs at regional microsites. SDSU ranks as the number 1 California State University in federal research support, as one of the top public research universities in California. In addition to academic offerings at SDSU, SDSU Imperial Valley and SDSU Georgia, SDSU Global Campus offers online training, certificates and degrees in areas of study designed to meet the needs of students everywhere. Students participate in transformational research, international experiences, sustainability and entrepreneurship initiatives, internships and mentoring, and a broad range of student life and leadership opportunities. SDSU is committed to inclusive excellence and is known for its efforts in advancing diversity and inclusion. SDSU is nationally recognized for its study abroad initiatives, veterans’ programs and support of LGBTQA+ students, as well as its powerhouse Division I Athletics Program. More than 50% of SDSU’s undergraduate and graduate students are students of color. The university resides on Kumeyaay land and was most recently recognized as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SDSU is also a long-standing Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). The university’s rich campus life and location offers opportunities for students to lead and engage with the creative and performing arts, career and internship opportunities with SDSU’s more than 500,000 living alumni, and the vibrant cultural life of the greater San Diego and U.S.-Mexico region. sdsu.edu