The University of South Carolina has partnered with the state government to create a “state cyber ecosystem” designed to strengthen the workforce and protect the region’s digital infrastructure, University President Bob Caslen and Governor Henry McMaster announced in an interview press conference on Thursday.
The plan, officials said, will begin a study to identify the state’s cyber security assets, determine its strengths and weaknesses and form a strategy. The effort, which should include work in education, defense and private industry, said McMaster, could make South Carolina “one of the nation’s top cyber centers”.
The University of South Carolina is already leading much of the state’s legal, policy and workforce development for cybersecurity. This latest initiative advances the partnership with South Carolina as part of a “critical state effort,” said Caslen, a retired Army officer who served as West Point superintendent from 2013 to 2018.
“As the leading university in South Carolina, we are in a unique position to help develop the future cyber workforce the state needs, as well as inform stakeholders about emerging cyber research and best practices that impact security and the economy. the state, ”said Caslen.
In addition to the initial study and development of a statewide plan to improve the state’s workforce, the university also plans to establish a “cyber institute,” said Bill Kirkland, executive director of the university’s innovation office. That institute would combine extension efforts, education, research and workforce development to support the state’s cybersecurity plan, he said.
And in addition to strengthening a cybersecurity workforce across the state, the initiative may also serve another reason for Caslen, who said last October that he “has no intention” of increasing tuition fees. Find new ways to rent university facilities or generate revenue through new partnerships, he said, is an alternative to monthly fee increases.
The university already partners in research with military facilities, such as the Army Cyber Center of Excellence at neighboring Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia, and in December joined the foundation of the Army Cyber Institute, providing training for “electronic warfare operators”.
Several nearby military organizations are involved in the new state ecosystem project, including the US Army Cyber Command in Fort Gordon and the center of excellence, along with the Naval Information War Center in Charleston.
“This statewide cyber strategy is an opportunity to develop a cyber ecosystem that trains, attracts and produces a workforce for the high-tech, well-paying jobs in the knowledge economy,” said McMaster. “Cyber professionals are in high demand, and through these efforts, we can make South Carolina one of the nation’s top cyber centers.”