Cyber Win: NSA Selects LSU to Build Cybersecurity Clinic to Support Small Businesses in Louisiana
Summary
$1.5 million award from the National Security Agency will establish the LSU Cybersecurity Clinic to help small businesses in Louisiana prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks. It recognizes LSUs growing leadership in cyber as we pursue our mission and Scholarship First Agenda to protect and secure Louisiana and the nation.The initial $1.5 million award from the NSA will establish the LCC, with services offered through three collaborative sub-clinics operated by LSU students and faculty advisors. The first sub-clinic, focused on threat and vulnerability assessment, will be open to computer science majors and put students on the offensive as they pretend to be malicious hackers to help companies find security flaws. Cyber risk assessment, open to business majors, will focus on the particular assets, information and operations of a company to develop workable and effective mitigation strategies.Business owners need new and trusted allies and resources in the worsening cyber fight, said Aisha Ali-Gombe, LCC director, principal investigator on the grant and associate professor of computer science and engineering at LSU with a joint appointment in the LSU Center for Computation & Technology. While technology has enabled many smaller companies to be more competitive and grow by reaching and serving more customersincluding through automation, online sales platforms and accounting and inventory management software to save time and moneytechnology has also brought risk, including beyond the organizations themselves.