Google.org to provide funding for a Trident Technical College cybersecurity clinic
June 4, 2024
Trident Technical College (TTC) has been selected to receive $1 million in grant funding and wraparound support from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to establish the TTC Cybersecurity Operations Clinic. The funding from Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, is part of a $25 million collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.
Cybersecurity clinics at higher education institutions provide free digital security services to under-resourced organizations, similar to how law or medical schools offer free community clinics. The TTC Cybersecurity Operations Clinic will give TTC students the opportunity to learn cybersecurity and AI skills while simultaneously protecting vulnerable organizations from cyber attacks.
Terry Richburg, the Assistant Dean of Business Technology at TTC says, “Trident Technical College is honored to have been selected as a new Google Cybersecurity Clinic Fund site. The college will leverage Google’s support with existing college and community resources and partnerships to launch the TTC Cybersecurity Operations Clinic. This clinic will provide students with additional hands-on preparation for their careers in cybersecurity, and offer small businesses and non-profits in our region the opportunity to become more cyber aware and resilient. Google’s significant investment will result in increased collaboration and support between Trident Tech students and partner agencies, allowing the agencies to focus on doing the good work they do to help our community thrive.”
“The Charleston region is home to thousands of diverse small businesses and nonprofits,“ Dr. Laurie Boeding, vice president for academic affairs at Trident Tech, adds. “They are particularly vulnerable to cybercrime because they typically lack the time or finances to invest in cybersecurity initiatives. We’re thrilled that Google.org’s funding will expand the college’s efforts in helping to build our area’s cybersecurity workforce and address agencies’ needs for cyber support.”
“Google has proven to be an exemplary corporate citizen in South Carolina, and their commitment to cybersecurity is further exemplified by this generous investment in Trident Technical College,” said Sen. Larry Grooms. “The TTC Cybersecurity Operations Clinic will not only strengthen our state’s cyber defenses but also establish the Charleston region as a national leader in cybersecurity education and workforce development. Google’s dedication to fostering a safer digital landscape for all is commendable, and we are proud to have them as a partner in our state’s ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime.”
The Cybersecurity program at TTC offers an associate degree and a certificate in cybersecurity. TTC’s Cybersecurity program has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education (CDE) through the 2024 academic year. This designation was awarded by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) upon meeting their stringent requirements for cybersecurity curriculum and program criteria. TTC was the first two-year college in South Carolina to receive this designation.
“The world is in a moment where emerging technologies, like AI, are creating both new opportunities and threats in the world of cybersecurity,” said Heather Adkins, VP of Security Engineering at Google. “It’s essential that we invest in growing a strong, diverse and widespread cybersecurity workforce to help protect everyone – from critical infrastructure to small businesses and schools. The 15 clinics that we’re helping to establish serve a wide variety of students across all corners of the U.S. and we’re excited to see the impact they’ll have in their local communities.”
“Google’s transformative investment is catalyzing cybersecurity for the public good,” says Ann Cleaveland, co-founder and co-chair of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics and Executive Director of the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. “We congratulate the recipients and applaud these awards, which propel forward the vision of the Consortium to establish a cybersecurity clinic in every U.S. state by 2030.”
TTC is one of 15 new clinics set to launch in 2024 at higher education institutions across the country, thanks to a collaboration from Google and the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. TTC is also one of the first two-year colleges in the country to benefit from this funding. In addition to $1 million in Google.org funding, the tech company is offering TTC volunteer mentorship from Google employees, Google Titan Security Keys, and scholarships for the Google Career Certificate in Cybersecurity. Learn more on Google’s blog and the Consortium’s website.
The announcement builds on Google’s 2023 support for 10 clinics, part of a combined commitment to launch 25 Google-supported cyber clinics nationwide by 2025. With the latest round of funding, Google.org has now committed more than $25 million toward creating the diverse and AI- and digital security-savvy workforce needed to protect critical U.S. infrastructure from cyber attacks.
About Trident Technical College
Trident Technical College is a public, two-year, multicampus community college that provides quality education and promotes economic development in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties in coastal South Carolina. An open-door institution of higher education, Trident Technical College serves traditional and nontraditional curriculum students who have a wide variety of educational goals, from personal enrichment to career development to university transfer. The college further promotes economic development through noncredit courses; customized education and training for business, industry and government; and a variety of employment training programs. Learn more at www.tridenttech.edu/. Established in 1975, the Trident Technical College Foundation advocates and raises funds for the college to support the region’s economy.
