Bill seeks to bolster cybersecurity education

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX) introduced the Cybersecurity Clinics Grant Program Act, legislation that would fund higher education-based cybersecurity at community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

The bill would create a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant program while also requiring the agency to develop an experiential cybersecurity curriculum for grant recipients.

“Building the next generation of young Americans in the cyber workforce requires strategic investments in opportunities that offer a high-potential path to help increase the number of experienced cybersecurity professionals,” Veasey said. “Research shows the potential for the cyber clinic model to educate young people about cybersecurity effectively. These clinics will provide students with a pathway to enter the cyber workforce with practical experience, which will only benefit our country’s national security in the long run.”

The cybersecurity clinics are interactive, personalized workshops that provide education on the importance of protecting devices, data and identity from physical and digital compromise. They also
offer a path to increase the number of experienced cybersecurity professionals.

Additionally, it will help underrepresented civil society organizations, state and local government agencies and small and medium-sized businesses develop cybersecurity workforces.

The bill will help establish the framework for a strategic model to help America bolster national security defenses domestically and abroad, per officials

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is in a position to help create a curriculum that community colleges and minority-serving institutions can offer to students interested in entering the cyber workforce.