Marshall University showcases cyber endeavors to federal officials

Marshall University and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito welcomed Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), to its new National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure/Institute for Cyber Security to see the work being done to boost cyber security and train the next generation of cyber experts.

The day-long series of meetings included officials with Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network, West Virginia Air National Guard and CISA, among other educational and government partners.

Easterly, who leads CISA’s efforts to reduce risk to the nation’s cyber and physical infrastructure, is retired from the U.S. Army and has served at the White House in two different administrations.

“This center is emblematic of the innovation we need to inspire our next generation of cyber professionals and advance the cutting-edge research necessary to keep our nation secure and resilient,” Easterly said.

Marshall University President Brad D. Smith said West Virginians have always answered the call to serve the nation,  and fighting to keep our nation’s cyber systems free of invasion is no different.

“We understand the importance of this mission,” Smith said. “We are proud that we have the opportunity to be designated a center of academic access for cybersecurity.  We’ve been designated to protect the East Coast of the United State, and we are doing that in partnership with our local community, as well as our education and federal partners.”

Easterly, along with Capito, Marshall First Lady Alys Smith, Alexandria Royal, senior technical advisor, U.S. Cyber Command-JFHQ-DODIN, and Amy Cyphert, an associate professor with the West Virginia University School of Law, participated in a panel discussion on women in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Ground was broken in May for the new institute at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Hal Greer Boulevard.  The facility will be approximately 78,000 square feet and house a state-of-the-art operations center modeled after JFHQ-DODIN Headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland, as well as a similar operation at the University of Texas-San Antonio. The facility will also feature 13 labs, among which will be six cybersecurity labs for training purposes, an industrial control systems lab, an internet of things lab and an open-source intelligence lab.

For more information on the Institute for Cyber Security, visit Home – Institute for Cyber Security (marshall.edu)