The Entergy Charitable Foundation has awarded a $2 million grant to Jackson State University (JSU) for creating the Critical Power Grid Network Security Lab.
The initiative will generate an innovation hub to help train a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce to meet the growing needs of nuclear, electric and natural gas companies, and electrical cooperatives.
The project will be a foundation of JSU's commitment to workforce development, energy infrastructure, and cybersecurity. The lab will provide students with real-world experience safeguarding critical power grid infrastructure.
Jackson State will receive the grant over multiple installments. The funds will only be for developing the lab with focus on cybersecurity in the nuclear, energy, and natural gas sectors.
“The robust growth in our company and the state is providing extraordinary opportunities to help build a diverse and skilled workforce in the cybersecurity field,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “Through this partnership, we’re investing in local talent and competing to keep them here.”
The lab intends to incorporate students with valuable technical skills and contribute to society by building a workforce prepared to protect vital national infrastructure.
(ISC)², a global cybersecurity certification body, reported a shortage of approximately 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals worldwide in 2022, with over 700,000 job openings in the U.S. alone. The shortage creates a challenge to national security and the economy as organizations struggle to defend against increased cyberattacks.
Thus, JSU is developing its cybersecurity education curriculum and resources to deal with the challenge.
The cybersecurity industry has experienced significant growth and transformation over the past decade due to the increasing prevalence of digital technology and the corresponding rise in cyber threats.
According to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures, global cybercrime costs are expected to reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, up from $3 trillion in 2015, highlighting the severity and frequency of cyberattacks. The increase has highlighted the need for a strong cybersecurity infrastructure, leading to large investments by the U.S. private and public sectors.
