Google.org Provides $1M in Funding for LSU Cybersecurity Clinic

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Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
With $1 million in funding from Google.org, the LSU Cybersecurity Clinic is bringing
free education and evaluation services to Louisiana industry and government clients,
a major program expansion that will protect critical infrastructure across the state,
from water treatment facilities to oil wells and chemical plants.

It’s LSU’s first-ever grant from Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the tech giant.

“Navigating the recent increase in disruptive cyber-attacks on essential services
– from local power grids to hospitals – will rely on a strong cyber workforce capable
of defending against everyday threats,” said Maab Ibrahim, Head of Knowledge, Skills,
and Learning for the Americas, Google.org.

“Cyber clinics are a crucial part of this effort: they give students the hands-on
experience they need to start careers, while at the same time providing vital, no-cost
security services to local organizations that need them most,” Ibrahim said. “It’s
a smart investment in both our workforce and the critical infrastructure that communities
depend on.”

“Here in Baton Rouge, we’re creating the national standard for excellence in cybersecurity,”
LSU Chancellor James Dalton said. “We’re achieving this through every facet of our
mission – teaching, research, and service to Louisiana. The LSU Cybersecurity Clinic
is central to our cybersecurity efforts, and to our ability to protect and secure
Louisiana and the nation.”

The LSU Cybersecurity Clinic was founded in 2023 by Aisha Ali-Gombe, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering and a researcher in the LSU Center for Computation & Technology. Ali-Gombe serves as director of the clinic, which is supported by three staff members.

The clinic combines hands-on student learning and state-wide community service. LSU
engineering and business students get trained and certified in cybersecurity, then
provide educational seminars and industry-standard assessments to Louisiana small
business owners – at no cost.

Students so far have helped over 70 Louisiana small business owners through seminars
that outline the risks posed by cyber criminals and how to better protect against
fraud, stolen data, and service disruptions. Students have also completed 22 in-depth
cybersecurity assessments for small business clients representing a variety of sectors,
including finance, healthcare, marketing, manufacturing, defense, construction and
roofing, education and childcare, and architecture and engineering.

With support from Google.org, the LSU clinic is able to:

Expand cybersecurity services to critical infrastructure in Louisiana. Starting this fall, the clinic team will expand its service footprint to public and
private water treatment plants, then to chemical, petroleum, agriculture, and shipping
and logistics companies that are foundational to the state’s economy – and to national
security and supply chains. The clinic will continue to serve small businesses.

Bring real-world cybersecurity education to all LSU students. Thanks to Google.org support, the clinic is now accepting applications from all LSU
students, regardless of major, who want to make an impact in the cybersecurity field.

Increase the number of students trained. Over the course of the six-year grant, the clinic will benefit 213 students, a 17%
increase. Students learn how to secure information technology and operations systems
and industrial controls as well as earn industry-standard certifications.

Cybersecurity Clinic presentation

Students give feedback on current projects

Aisha Ali-Gombe, LSU Cybersecurity Clinic Director

Students in the clinic work in teams of three. One is a member of the clinic’s “red
team,” which focuses on offensive cybersecurity using penetration testing and vulnerability
analysis. The other is a member of the “blue team,” which focuses on defensive operations
through threat modeling and configuration assessments. And the third is a member of
the “green team,” which focuses on governance, risk, policy, and compliance. Students
not only get hands-on technical experience, but hone professional skills like writing
and presenting, thinking critically and solving problems.

“At LSU, we believe cybersecurity education should create real-world impact,” Ali-Gombe
said. “Through this clinic, we are not only preparing the next generation of defenders,
we are helping strengthen the resilience of the utilities and critical infrastructure
organizations our communities in Louisiana and beyond depend on every day.”

LSU’s Cybersecurity Clinic was the first in the nation to be funded by the National
Security Agency, enabled by the university’s designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations.

Some clinic students will be supported through LSU’s Scholarship for Service (SFS)
CyberCorps program, funded by the National Science Foundation. Last year, LSU was
the only university in the nation, among 89 SFS institutions, to see its funding renewed. The SFS program trains students for national security careers, and LSU students
in the program are currently working for national laboratories that support the U.S.
Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department
of Energy.

“Through this clinic, we are not only preparing the next generation of defenders,
we are helping strengthen the resilience of the utilities and critical infrastructure
organizations our communities in Louisiana and beyond depend on every day.”

Aisha Ali-Gombe, LSU Cybersecurity Clinic Director

LSU is the first university to partner with the Department of Homeland Security, the
Critical Infrastructure Security Agency, and Idaho National Laboratory on a new model
for cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, installing an industrial control systems training platform known as the Tiger Skid on its flagship campus. Students in the LSU Cybersecurity Clinic train and work directly
with industry through this platform, modeling networks and simultaneously attacking
and analyzing them in a safe, controlled environment.

So far, the clinic has graduated 52 students, some of whom are now working at global
firms that include Google, Deloitte, Lenovo, EisnerAmper, and, in Louisiana, for the
Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness.

Learn more about cybersecurity at LSU: https://lsu.edu/cybersecurity/