WVU leading new center to bolster cybersecurity for businesses, train students

Supported by a $1.5 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, West Virginia University will house a first-of-its-kind center that will leverage student and faculty expertise to improve the cybersecurity and cyber-resilience of businesses across the Mountain State.

The Cyber-Resilience Resource Center will provide cybersecurity and cyber-resilience training and support to organizations throughout West Virginia, with a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized businesses, startups and critical infrastructure, said Chris Ramezan, executive director of the CRRC and assistant professor of cybersecurity at the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics.

Businesses and critical infrastructure across the state are expected to benefit while more than 200 students will participate and gain real-world cybersecurity experience.

“The vision for the CRRC is to transform WVU and the state of West Virginia into the nation’s shining beacon for cyber-resilience, critical infrastructure defense and cybersecurity education to train the next-generation cybersecurity workforce,” Ramezan said.

The CRRC will be located at Reynolds Hall, though it will be positioned as a statewide initiative. It will offer direct cybersecurity and cyber-resilience assistance through hands-on consulting, strategic guidance and technical services in all 55 counties. The Center will also develop a series of training and educational materials for businesses to use to implement best practices and improve their organizational cyber-resilience.

In addition, Ramezan said, the CRRC will help businesses navigate compliance requirements by making them increasingly eligible and competitive for federal contracts. Any business, organization or critical infrastructure in West Virginia will have access to the Center.

The CRRC will also be closely aligned with the National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure, of which WVU is a key partner, through efforts to enhance the state’s critical infrastructure towards supporting the national security mission of the United States.

The grant funding for the CRRC is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization initiative, which aims to boost employment and investment in Appalachia.

The idea behind the CRRC stemmed from a student research project by Azeem Khan, who wanted to examine how West Virginia could improve the cybersecurity posture of the state.

Khan, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and minor in business cybersecurity in May and is now a presidential fellow at WVU, said his research concluded West Virginia businesses would benefit from a concept like the CRRC, since such a center will help provide West Virginia businesses and consumers with enhanced protection against cybercriminals, while also providing students with one-of-a-kind experiential learning opportunities which are critical in the cybersecurity field.

“This is something that will make WVU and West Virginia a national leader in cybersecurity, which is something Dr. Ramezan and I take great pride in,” said Khan, a Charleston native. “This project was the highlight of my academic experience at WVU. I spent my last two years as a student working with Dr. Ramezan on this initiative and was able to do two semesters of professional field experiences with the WVU Government Relations Office. It truly opened my eyes to the incredible potential of the research and work that WVU does for our state every single day. To me, the CRRC is our land-grant mission truly in action.”

Liz Vitullo, assistant vice president of economic innovation, WVU Office of the President, will serve as the CRRC’s director for strategic advancement. With extensive expertise in economic development, Vitullo was approached by Ramezan to assist in transforming his and Khan’s research by proposing the center. Vitullo also connected the team with the West Virginia Grant Resource Center, which provided feedback and guidance for the proposal.

Ramezan said the student impact will persist beyond Khan as both undergraduate and graduate students from any West Virginia higher education institution will be eligible to apply for a paid fellowship. Cyber-Resilience Fellows will gain the opportunity to hone their cybersecurity knowledge, skills and abilities by tackling real-world problem sets, and get the chance to make a difference in the endless fight against cybercrime and nation-state advanced persistent threat actors.

WVU already has solid footing in the student learning experience with the success of capstone projects from the business cybersecurity management master’s program, and other industry outreach programs in the Chambers College, Ramezan said. 

“Providing students with hands-on experiences has really been the Achilles heel of many cybersecurity programs,” he said. “This is a highly applied field. The best way to learn cybersecurity is by getting outside your comfort zone and doing it. If we can grow cybersecurity jobs and talent in the state and get them good paying jobs right here in West Virginia, I know we’re on the right track.

“The CRRC aims to be the best vessel to make that happen for our students, while providing an invaluable service to West Virginia businesses. If there is a business seeking to move to West Virginia or an entrepreneur looking here as a potential place for their startup, I want the CRRC to help be a deciding factor in their move here, and attract businesses, opportunities, innovation and jobs to West Virginia. When they start or move their business here, we want them to know that when it comes to cybersecurity, the state has their back. It’s really a win-win all around.”