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Gillibrand promotes cyber service academy at Stony Brook University

U.S. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand spoke about her cyber service scholarship program at Stony Brook University on Nov. 15.
Jenna Zaza
/
WSHU
U.S. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand spoke about her cyber service scholarship program at Stony Brook University on Nov. 15.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) visited Stony Brook University to promote her cyber service academy scholarship program on Nov. 15. The program pays the student’s tuition in exchange for working at federal agencies such as the CIA, and the U.S. Space Force.

Gillibrand created the program through her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee to fill the nearly 30,000 vacant cybersecurity positions and strengthen national security.

She cited the recent Chinese hackers who targeted Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign last month to underscore the significance of cybersecurity. “We urgently need to attract a new generation of cybersecurity and technology professionals to help keep our democracy safe and to be the inventors and solutions of our future,” she said.

Eligible students can apply for the program multiple times, meaning for each year they receive the scholarship, another year is added to their public service requirement. If the student decides to end their public service term early, they are expected to pay back the tuition.

Currently, 24 institutions in New York host the program. Stony Brook University is one of them because of its designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity.

“The threats from cyber crimes grow with every advance in technology and education and this provides our students with opportunities to build their lives and help in the fight against cyber criminals,” New York State Senator Mario Mattera said. “It’s so important to protect our whole country.”

Mattera recalled the 2022 Suffolk County ransomware attack that forced government officials back to the analog era, conducting business on paper and through fax machines. He also explained that cybersecurity isn’t just a government issue, but also an individual concern.

“It happened to me — going to a supermarket, two credit cards got hacked at a local Giuseppe's,” he said. “It was from Russia. I know what Giuseppe's had to do, they had to spend millions of dollars to make sure it didn’t happen again. This program is a great opportunity for all local students.”

The program currently has 1,000 slots per year. However, Gillibrand said if they see an uptick in applicants they will look into increasing slots and funding for the program.

“This [program] will allow them to afford college, assist in this fight against this growing issue and set up our young men and women for rewarding career, good paying jobs,” Mattera added.

The initiative is similar to the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. Gillibrand said 600 schools across the nation are eligible to partner with cyber service academy scholarships, and they are in the midst of recruiting schools like Cornell and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

“Ideally, we’ll have a brick-and-mortar somewhere in the country, maybe even 10 throughout the country,” Gillibrand said. “Schools like Stony Brook could have a designated national cyber academy wing to it.”

Gillibrand said these brick-and-mortar training facilities for cyber specialists could look similar to the Army’s academy at West Point.

“We need the best and brightest across this country wanting to serve our nation in cyber and getting the benefits of this great university education such as Stony Brook’s,” she added. “If you’re an engineering major and good at cyber but have two or three years left, what a great opportunity. A job will be waiting for you, and you can get the rest of your schooling paid for.”

Jenna Zaza is a news intern at WSHU for the fall of 2024.