Georgia Details Plans for New Cybersecurity Center

Georgia Details Plans for New Cybersecurity Center

Georgia CIO said the new facility will be used to train Army Cyber Command personnel and state and local IT workers.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Oct 24, 2018

Three months after its grand opening, Georgia officials are detailing plans for its new $100 million Cyber Center. 

The center, located on the campus of Augusta University, is designed as a home for cybersecurity training, an incubator and accelerator for startup companies and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's new cybercrime unit. The center will also bring in personnel from the University System of Georgia, the state department of defense and other public- and private-sector parties. 

"It is making us a national leader in cyber. training and education, and already is attracting talented students to Augusta who will in turn become highly training cybersecurity professionals," Augusta University President Brooks Keel said in a press release in July. 

This week at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers annual conference in San Diego, Calvin Rhodes, Georgia's Chief Information Officer, gave a presentation detailing the future plans for the Cyber Center.

Rhodes said that the cybersecurity training and research center was already 70 percent full and will soon be a truing ground for military and civilian personnel alike. 

State and local government employees from across the state will also use the new center to learn better cybersecurity practices, which will allow them to get much more hands-on training, Rhodes said. New training courses will be much more intensive.

"What’s different now is that you’ll still have that lecture, you might have some coursework to do, but that’s 25 percent or less of the class," he told StateScoop. "The 75 percent is that you’re sitting in some scenario that’s been designed by the center, and showing people what you can do but more importantly what you cannot do."

Rhodes said the Cyber Center's facilities will be able to replicate state government systems for training simulations, a practice that is oftentimes used by large corporations. Practicing cybersecurity breakdowns in a life-like environment could help prevent more situations like the ransomware attack that hit Atlanta in March.

Image from cybercenter.com/geogia.gov/gallery/aerial-photos.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.