Adrian Johnson
TLDR:
- Google awards $1 million each to over two dozen colleges and universities for cybersecurity education
- 15 additional institutions receive funding after a successful round last year
Google has awarded over two dozen colleges and universities $1 million each to expand their access to cybersecurity education. The technology company created a fund last year in partnership with The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to provide money to higher education institutions for the establishment of educational clinics. The hope is to create more opportunities for diverse, young professionals to get into the field as the demand for cybersecurity jobs continues to increase and hundreds of thousands of those positions remain open across the U.S. The clinics also provide students an opportunity to utilize those skills in their school communities.
Google’s investment in the schools’ cybersecurity clinics includes mentorship from volunteer Googlers, Titan Security Keys, and scholarships for the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity. Colleges and universities were asked to apply for the funding, and Google decided to support more schools after reviewing hundreds of applications.
Ten schools that received funding last year saw success in their cybersecurity programs, with students engaging in real-world projects like helping local fire departments with online communication security and assisting water authorities in improving their IT security configurations. The additional 15 institutions chosen to receive the funds include a diverse range of colleges and universities across the U.S.
A job in technology security is considered one of the top 10 careers, highlighting the importance of investing in cybersecurity education. Google’s initiative aims to bridge the skills gap and prepare more students for careers in cybersecurity.
