Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University
25/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 26/07/2024 07:09
Work Begins on First IBM Cyber Command Center West of the Mississippi at SEMO
Work has begun to construct a new Cyber Command Center at Southeast Missouri State University. SEMO announced a partnership with IBM last fall to further strengthen the University's highly regarded cybersecurity program. The IBM Cyber Command Center will immerse students in simulated real-world cyber attack incidents.
"We are excited to work with IBM X-Force Cyber representatives on this project, so our students can train by experiencing true-to-life cyber response scenarios in a full-scale security operations center," said Southeast President Dr. Carlos Vargas.
The Center will include three types of cyber consoles supporting up to 27 computer stations, an immersive 27-foot display wall, an observation room, and dedicated servers that allow students to practice realistic breach scenarios to test response and recovery from enterprise-level cyber security incidents, manage vulnerabilities, and build stronger security.
"The IBM Cyber Command Center will allow students to learn crisis best practices including leadership and decision-making principles, communication tactics and crisis frameworks," said Director of Southeast's Institute of Cybersecurity Dr. Mario Garcia.
Garcia says the Command Center will also allow Southeast to host cybersecurity competitions and trainings for area businesses, something becoming increasingly necessary for companies.
Cybercrime costs are projected to reach $10.5 trillion globally by 2025 with the Federal Bureau of Investigation reporting nearly $7 billion lost in the U.S. alone. According to the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 33% of home computers are infected with malicious software and 47% of American adults have had their personal information exposed by cyber criminals. Cybersecurity Ventures reported growth in cybersecurity job vacancies from one million openings in 2013 to 3.5 million in 2023, with 700,000 going unfilled last year.
"The Cyber Command Center will bolster our academic excellence and position our students to make a difference in this growing and high demand field," said Vargas.
The Center will be located in Dempster Hall. Work began this month with completion anticipated in the fall.
In July 2021, Gov. Mike Parson signed House Bill 297 into law officially designating Southeast Missouri State University as an institution of higher education with a statewide mission in the areas of computer science and cybersecurity, the only institution in Missouri with this designation. Southeast was also named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Southeast's Cyber Defense team are 11-time champions of the Missouri Cyber Defense competition.