WASHINGTON — Alabama A&M University will join the world of cybersecurity as a host of a minority-based workshop through a National Science Foundation project.
The Minority Serving – Cyberinfrastructure Consortium, in partnership with Internet2, announced a series of ransomware security and cyberinfrastructure workshops beginning in June. They will be held at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities.
The consortium emerged from a National Science Foundation-funded pilot project awarded through Clemson University.
The first workshop is June 22-23 on the campus of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. Alabama A&M joins Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C.; Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, Mont.; and Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., in hosting upcoming workshops. Dates for those events have not yet been released.
The cybersecurity workshops will provide hands-on learning experiences for information technology leadership and staff from HBCUs and TCUs. They will focus on strategies and tactics to improve their institution’s cybersecurity posture, and defend against and effectively respond to, the growing threat of ransomware attacks.
“This workshop series also reflects the MS-CC’s commitment to creating new opportunities for community-building and networking,” said Lawrence Williams, MS-CC program director. “We want to facilitate new connections and expand collective expertise to help campuses increase their competitiveness, grow capabilities, and participate in the global cyberinfrastructure ecosystem.”
Cybersecurity is one of the highest-ranked immediate priorities in regard to cyberinfrastructure needs for respondents from HBCUs, TCUs, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and other minority serving institutions.
“We’ve heard our community of HBCUs and minority-serving institutions loud and clear – cybersecurity threats are a major barrier to implementing robust and reliable cyberinfrastructure on their campuses,” Williams said. “With support from the National Science Foundation, we are coordinating this series of workshops focused on ransomware to ensure campuses have the tools and support needed to bolster their institution’s cybersecurity posture.”
