Digital and wireless communication is connecting the world like never before, but with it comes increased criminal activity and extreme efforts to keep businesses and individuals safe from attacks. Liberty University will play a critical role in helping Virginia to become a global leader in cybersecurity research, technology development, and the training of cybersecurity professionals through the new Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI).
Liberty was recently designated a member of one of CCI’s four regional nodes, serving alongside nine other institutions in the Southwest region. Faculty from Liberty’s Center for Cyber Excellence have also been selected to serve on the leadership council for the region.
Liberty faculty will work closely with faculty from Virginia Tech, which is serving as the program’s lead for the Southwest node.
CCI aims to unite the best minds in cybersecurity through a network of 320 faculty members across 39 higher education institutions, as well as 65 private companies, four federal partners, and 45 other regional partners.
The commonwealth committed to invest $20 million annually from 2020 and beyond for this unprecedented collaboration of top researchers, educators, and industry leaders. The network will provide the connective platform necessary for Virginia’s cybersecurity experts to work together in positioning the state as a leader in cybersecurity as well as data analytics, machine learning, and autonomous systems.
“Research opportunities will keep Liberty on the cutting edge of technology related to data analytics, artificial intelligence, and engineering projects,” said Dr. David Brat, dean of Liberty’s School of Business. “This initiative will help the School of Business collaborate with the School of Engineering and ultimately provide valuable skills for our students as they enter the job market.”
