SAN BERNARDINO>> Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-San Bernardino) recently announced that California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) will receive over three million dollars in federal funding for the university’s prestigious cybersecurity program through three different grant allocations. The first grant is from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is run through the U.S. Department of Commerce. The NIST grant is for $281,444 and is the first installment of a three-year grant totaling $878,432. The second and third grants will be facilitated by the National Security Agency (NSA) for National Centers of Academic Excellence in cyberdefense, and will distribute over $2 million to CSUSB.
“Investing in cybersecurity is about training the next generation for 21st century economy jobs that we can create and grow in the Inland Empire,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “Supporting programs like those offered at CSUSB allows us to have a highly skilled workforce to enhance our national security, while also putting San Bernardino on the map for education and innovation. These are investments in our national security and regional economy that we need to fight for.”
Dr. Tony Coulson, Director of the Cyber Security Center at CSUSB commented, “CSUSB is committed to building a world-class cyber security workforce. Grants like these enable us to further this mission. I am proud to say that our graduates are protecting critical infrastructure, money supply and the nation as a whole.”
The NIST grant will help create virtual environments and simulation of what it’s like to work in the cybersecurity workforce, from coding to network devices. This will be a significant aid to both academics and the cybersecurity workforce as it trains and hires professionals in the expanding cybersecurity field. The NSA grants will support investments in curriculum to increase capacity so CSUSB can take advantage of important resources to develop and hire more talent, and will also empower CSUSB to become a Cybersecurity National Resource Center.
Cybersecurity is a critical issue for Rep. Aguilar. He recently secured $5 million to restart a cybersecurity scholarship program, affecting CSUSB, in a bill that passed the House of Representatives, Senate and was signed into law. And just a few weeks ago, Rep. Aguilar announced that his cyberwarriors pilot program through the US Army has begun implementation. Rep. Aguilar serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is a member of the Cybersecurity Caucus.