New technologies, like AI, are presenting both opportunities and threats to cybersecurity. At the same time, there are nearly 450,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. — and demand for professionals in the field is growing.
Last year, we announced a Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to help grow the U.S. cybersecurity workforce by increasing access and opportunities for students interested in cybersecurity careers. The fund, which we launched in collaboration with The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, invited higher education institutions across the U.S. to apply for funding to expand or establish a cybersecurity clinic.
Our original goal was to support 20 clinics, and 10 have already received funding and mentorship to help grow their programs. Now, after evaluating hundreds of compelling applications, we’re announcing our support for 15 additional, entirely new clinics. Each will receive $1 million in Google.org funding, mentorship from volunteer Googlers, Titan Security Keys and scholarships for the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity. This additional support will help clinic programming reach hundreds of students, and increase our commitment by $5 million, for a total of $25 million that will support 25 cybersecurity clinics nationwide by 2025.
Cybersecurity clinics offer students the opportunity to hone their skills while providing local organizations with tools to protect themselves from potential cyber threats. For example, students from the Google-supported clinic at Indiana University are helping local fire department employees put a plan in place if their online communications are compromised. And at Rochester Institute of Technology, students helped their local water authority review and improve their IT security configurations across their sites for threat detection and response processes.
Cyber attacks are a threat to everyone’s security, so it’s essential that cyber education is accessible. With these newest 15 clinics, we’re supporting institutions that serve a variety of students and communities: traditional colleges and universities as well as community and technical colleges in both rural and urban communities. And because we know there’s an opportunity to improve diversity within the industry, we’ve provided funding to organizations like CAHSI, Stillman and AISES to support HBCUs, HSIs and Indigenous-serving institutions interested in learning more about and potentially creating cybersecurity clinics on their campuses.
Learn more about all of the recipients on the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund website.