Cybersecurity Story Archives - Page 2 of 2 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Cybersecurity Workforce Training Planned At Glenville State University

The program’s aim is to create a sustainable economic future for West Virginia’s coal-impacted north central region. Anyone living in north central West Virginia in counties defined as “distressed” or “at-risk” can receive free training and certification in cybersecurity-related fields.

Glenville State University is partnering with the Appalachian Regional Commission to offer residents in distressed counties free cybersecurity training.

Demand for people with cybersecurity skills in West Virginia and other states is climbing steadily and that trend is projected to continue.

“Our POWER grant with ARC allows for the development of free boot camps, and will provide each participant with all the training materials, study guides and exams at no cost,” Peggy Runyon, Glenville State’s project director for the initiative, said.

Participants in identified counties will receive training and eventual certification in cybersecurity-related fields.

“We are making strong efforts to bring the training to the people in these counties,” Runyon said. “This training would cost several thousand dollars if you were paying for it out of pocket, so I sincerely encourage individuals to take advantage of this exclusive opportunity.”

West Virginia counties defined as “distressed” or “at-risk” include Barbour, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Harrison, Lewis, Mercer, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Tucker, Upshur, Webster and Wirt. Other West Virginia counties will be considered as well.

The first class, CompTIA Network+ is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 24; Sunday, June 25; and Saturday, July 1. No prerequisites are required but seating is limited.

The free training program is made possible through a Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization grant for the university’s Cybersecurity and Safety Workforce Development Initiative.

A total of $1,402,408 in local and federal funding is being provided for the project.

To sign up for the course or for more information, contact Peggy.Runyon@glenville.edu or call (304) 462-6383.

Marshall University Hosting Legislative Interim Committee Meetings

The May installment of 2023 legislative interim committee meetings will take place on Marshall’s Huntington campus beginning on Sunday.

Sara Payne Scarboro, Marshall’s associate vice president of Government Relations, said the university welcomes the opportunity to showcase its campus and local community partnerships.

“We will highlight the wonderful things and growth going on in the city, county and here at Marshall,” Scarboro said. “Our good friends up north at WVU, they had the opportunity to host the legislature last year. Now it’s Marshall’s turn, and we are eager to make them welcome.”

Several meeting agendas highlight Marshall programs including health care, cybersecurity and aviation. Scarboro said meeting topics, including presentations from Huntington and Cabell County leaders, are all part of an economic development focus.

“All roads lead to economic development and job creation and keeping our talent in the Mountain State,” Scarboro said. “We wanted to have an opportunity to tell that story, how Marshall University is leaning in to help our state lawmakers create jobs, keep jobs and keep our students here in West Virginia.”

Scarboro said planned lawmaker field trips during interims include visits to The Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center and the Nucor steel plant site in nearby Mason County.

“We’re going to go to Nucor on a site visit to talk with industry leadership, we’re going to examine Route 2, and how infrastructure is important to further develop that venue and that road setting for future business development.”

Scarboro said she hopes lawmakers leave Huntington with an understanding that Marshall is an economic development partner to the state, with a seat at the table.

Interims run Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Click here for a listing of meeting times and agendas.

Berkeley County Schools Close Following Network Outage, Safety Concerns

Students in Berkeley County stayed home from school Monday following a “security incident” Friday involving a network outage that limited IT operations.

Students in Berkeley County stayed home from school Monday following a “security incident” Friday involving a network outage that limited IT operations.

The county school district is currently trying to restore access to the network, working with both cybersecurity professionals and local law enforcement to find the cause of the incident. The county is also investigating if any personal data from students was compromised.

“Answering this question is a key objective of our investigation,” County Superintendent Ronald Stephens said in a public statement. “If it is determined that there was unauthorized access to sensitive personal information, we will notify individuals in accordance with applicable laws.”

Stephens said the county would also provide resources to families to help protect against potential information misuse, if such a problem arises. Berkeley County Schools services 19,722 students, according to its Facebook page.

An emailed statement from Berkeley County Schools Communications Director Elaine Bobo to West Virginia Public Broadcasting said they will provide an update once the investigation is complete and the network is back online.

“We want our students and the community to know that we place a high value on maintaining the integrity and security of the data we hold in our systems, and we are working diligently to restore operations and furthering our investigation of the incident,” Bobo said. “We will provide an additional update once the restoration process and our investigation are complete.”

A follow-up release Monday afternoon announced schools would reopen Tuesday while the investigation continues.

Federal, State Officials Recognize Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which serves as a reminder to be mindful of digital security and how to prevent cyber attacks.

“For each risk identified you don’t mitigate, you’re accepting,” said Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Deputy Director Nitin Natarajan.

Some basic cybersecurity tips include simple tasks like creating strong, unique online passwords, updating computer software and using multi-factor authentication to keep online accounts more secure. That’s adding an extra layer to log in, like inputting a code sent via text message alongside a regular password.

“When we talk about cyber hygiene, and we talk about those core fundamentals, that’s the same whether you’re the multibillion dollar, multinational corporation, as if you’re the individual user sitting at home in West Virginia,” Natarajan said.

Being able to recognize and report phishing, or fake messages designed to trick users into sending important or sensitive information, from suspicious emails or text messages is also important.

Natarajan said ensuring your digital footprint is protected is something that should guide day-to-day decisions.

“As you look to buy software or hardware and frankly, services, you’re looking for those that have security built into the design,” Natarajan said. “If I’m going to choose a bank, do I choose a bank that offers multi-factor authentication, or one that doesn’t?”

The agency estimates cyber attacks happen between every 11 to 44 seconds nationwide.

An email sent from CISA representative Jane Cowley to West Virginia Public Broadcasting said the agency is aware of and helped combat 26 cybersecurity incidents in West Virginia within the past 13 months, including those affecting healthcare services, emergency services, local governments and private organizations.

Cybersecurity Training Coming To Some Coal-Impacted Communities

Residents in several West Virginia counties hurt by the declining coal industry will soon have the option to receive training in cybersecurity work.

Glenville State College this week received more than $1.4 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to develop a Cybersecurity and Safety Workforce Development Initiative.

Communities in fifteen West Virginia counties, where coal jobs have dwindled in recent years, will benefit from the program. Those counties include Barbour, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Harrison, Gilmer, Lewis, Nicholas, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Upshur, Webster and Wirt.

According to a news release, the initiative is designed to cultivate economic diversity, enhance reemployment opportunities for former miners and their families, and fill jobs in cybersecurity, which is a high paying and high-demand field.

The program will train about 300 West Virginians. The state has 1,000 open cybersecurity jobs, according to the release.

The Cybersecurity and Safety Workforce Development Initiative is part of ARC’s larger Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative.

“The downturn of the coal industry has impacted economies across Appalachia. That’s why ARC’s POWER initiative helps to leverage regional partnerships and collaborations to support efforts to create a more vibrant economic future for coal-impacted communities,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “Many of the projects … will invest in educating and training the Appalachian workforce, nurturing entrepreneurship, and supporting infrastructure—including broadband access.”

POWER targets federal resources to communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations and coal-related supply chain industries.

Additional support for the initiative is provided by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

WVU Professor Wins $500,000 to Work on Cybersecurity

A West Virginia University professor has won a $500,000 grant to work on cybersecurity techniques.

The college announced Monday that Yanfang Ye has won the CAREER award from the National Science Foundation.

Ye is an assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering at WVU. Her plan is to design a way to better analyze cybercrime so it’s easier to spot illegal behavior and piece together online criminal networks.

Her grant will be doled out over the next five years.

The college says Ye’s work has won numerous awards and brought in nearly $3 million in federal research funding in the past two years.