Today, the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) released the National Cybersecurity Workforce and Education Strategy, a roadmap to building a nation of responsible digital citizens and dedicated cyber professionals. The strategy expertly moves cyber workforce development from a sideline issue to a national imperative and emphasizes that U.S. national security is deeply intertwined with the strength, skills, and diversity of our cyber workforce. 

My colleagues and I at the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics are proud to support the launch of the cybersecurity strategy. The document champions four key pillars:

1. Equip every American with foundational cyber skills
2. Transform cyber education
3. Expand and enhance America’s cyber workforce
4. Strengthen the federal cyber workforce

While ambitious in its scope the strategy is anchored in tactics and programs that have been proven effective attracting incredible people, promoting hands-on skills, and connecting them to jobs that value them. 

We are particularly excited to see cybersecurity clinics, pioneered at UC Berkeley, MIT, Indiana University, and the University of Alabama and championed by member institutions in the Consortium, included as one of many programs that strengthen the cyber workforce. Clinics are featured in Recommendations 2.2.2 (“Enhance applied cyber content in interdisciplinary education programs”) and 3.2.5 (“Increase on-ramps to cyber careers through work-based learning opportunities”).

Similar to clinics in law and medicine, cybersecurity clinics promote hands-on learning by matching students with real clients and giving them the work experience they need to land their first job in cybersecurity. The mission-based work of cyber clinics attracts a multidisciplinary group of students to the field of cybersecurity, vastly increasing the number and types of students entering the cyber workforce. These programs also provide essential cybersecurity services to critical organizations that otherwise could not afford them, including municipalities, rural hospitals, small businesses, and nonprofits. 

We are also glad to see such an inclusive description of workforce diversity within the strategy,  as well as an emphasis on the many types of diversity that make for a strong and resilient workforce. We share ONCD’s commitment to making cybersecurity a welcoming field to people of different colors, backgrounds, and training, from rural areas to urban metropolises, and to include people of different abilities, sexualities, and perspectives. 

The Cybersecurity Workforce and Education Strategy is not a silver bullet; rather, it is a long-term roadmap that shows how continued and expanded investments in the cyber workforce can lead to a more secure digital future for us all. Organizations in the cyber sector, from academic institutions to think tanks to large corporations, must rise to the occasion to ensure we reach these goals together. 

The actions we take today to welcome more people to the cyber field will cause ripples for decades to come. The people we encourage, mentor, and hire will be the ones to bring our field into the new digital age, and protect us from cyber threats we cannot even imagine.

The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics is proud to partner with Google.org on the first-ever Cybersecurity Clinics Fund.

Google, in collaboration with the Consortium, will support selected colleges, universities, and community colleges with up to $1M each to increase access and opportunities for students interested in pursuing careers in cybersecurity. In addition, recipients can access the Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Google Titan security keys, and student mentorship opportunities from Google.

Why Cybersecurity Clinics

This fund will grow and support existing members of the Consortium, while searching for new higher education institutions to help students build a career in cybersecurity. The goal of the fund is to support these institutions in building a workforce with the real-world experience needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure – in hospitals, nonprofits, schools and utilities – from cyber attacks.

Starting in October 2023, Google will begin accepting applications from colleges, universities, and community colleges interested in establishing a cybersecurity clinic on their campus. If you are a two- or four-year institution please sign up here to join Google’s applicant workshop.

How it works

Sign up for an Applicant Workshop

If you are a higher education institution interested in establishing a Cybersecurity Clinic for students, please sign up for a virtual workshop to review the application process which opens October 2023.

If you are not affiliated with a college or university but would like to nominate one, please sign up here.

How organizations apply

Check back this October, when applications go live for eligible organizations.

How organizations are selected

Google.org, along with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics and an external panel of experts, will review and select applicants to receive funding by March 11, 2024.

Funding and support

Selected organizations will receive up to $1 million each in funding, along with access to Google’s technical expertise and certificates. Additionally, they will be extended membership into the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics where they will have access to public interest cybersecurity curriculum and mentorship from existing clinics.

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Sign up now for one of our applicant workshops to learn more about the application process which opens October 2023.

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FAQs

What is the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund?

The Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund is launching an open call to US based colleges, universities, and community colleges to submit their application to host a cybersecurity clinic on their campus to accelerate the pipeline of workforce ready cybersecurity experts. Selected organizations will receive up to $1 million each in funding, as well as access to the Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Google Titan security keys, and student mentorship opportunities from Google volunteers.

What do you mean by “Cybersecurity Clinic”?

For decades, schools of law and medicine have operated “clinics”, where students work with real-world clients and gain valuable job experience.

University, college and community-college-based cybersecurity clinics train students from diverse backgrounds to strengthen the digital defenses of under-resourced critical public infrastructure organizations, like small hospitals, non-profits, local governments, small businesses, and other community organizations. University-based cybersecurity clinics address two simultaneous needs: building cybersecurity capacity and resilience in their communities and training the next generation of cybersecurity talent with real-world job experience.

Why is Google supporting Cybersecurity Clinics?

At Google, security has always been at the core of our products. We’ve worked to protect people, businesses and governments by sharing our expertise and advancing cybersecurity tools and resources.

This fund will support existing members of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, while searching for new higher education institutions to help students build a career in cybersecurity. We want to support these institutions in building a workforce with the real-world experience needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure – in hospitals, nonprofits, schools and utilities – from cyber attacks.

What is the Applicant Workshop?

If you are a college or university interested in applying to the fund, sign up to join one of our workshops. If you know of a strong candidate, share the link and encourage them to sign up. These workshops are designed to help interested applicants determine if a cybersecurity clinic is right for their organization, and to get support with their applications.

When is the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund open for applications?

We will accept applications from October 2023 through March 11th, 2024.

What will funding recipients receive? How big will the funding be?

Selected organizations can receive up to $1 million each in funding, as well as access to the Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Google Titan security keys, and student mentorship opportunities from Google volunteers.

What if I still have questions after reading the FAQs?

Tides Center is providing technical and operational support for the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund open call process. Please contact cybersecurityclinicfund@tides.org if you have additional questions. Use of your information by Tides Center is subject to the Tides’ Privacy Policy. You may contact Tides Center at any time to delete your application or to make updates or request deletion to your contact information.