Weber State a central hub for cybersecurity

Jessica Kokesh BA ’22, Marketing & Communications

Weber State University’s Cybersecurity Initiative (WSUCI), housed in the School of Computing, is northern Utah’s central resource for everything related to internet safety.

In addition to supporting future IT professionals earning degrees in network management technology, WSUCI provides outreach and training to the community at large so individuals and businesses can better protect their information.

“It doesn’t matter where you are on your cybersecurity journey,” WSUCI Director and Assistant Professor of Networking/Cybersecurity Matt Paulson said. “Weber State can help out with that.”

In September 2022, WSU was formally recognized as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, a program sponsored jointly by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The CAE-CDE designation provides Weber State national cybersecurity expertise recognition and helps provide more grant opportunities to expand WSUCI’s training offerings.

The designation also strengthens Weber State’s partnerships with the local defense and aerospace community, including Hill Air Force Base, Boeing, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.

“We teach Weber State students how to protect information on an enterprise level, so when they join the workforce, they can hit the ground running from day one,” Paulson said. “They’ll provide the sort of protection that companies need when managing their information.”