IU’s commitment to cybersecurity recognized with new partnership

Today, the State of Indiana Office of Technology announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Indiana and Purdue universities to develop and conduct at least 342 cybersecurity assessments for local governments over the next four years. The unprecedented agreement would create opportunities for staff and students from IU's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research to analyze the state of cybersecurity for local government entities and provide recommendations on how they can strengthen security.

Cyberattacks have become an increasing concern in our digital world. They result in identity and intellectual property theft, and compromise the critical infrastructure we all rely on, such as utilities, hospitals, police stations, and schools.

This partnership acknowledges IU's leadership in strengthening our protection against cyber attacks, and training the next generation of leaders to address the digital challenges of our global society. Our investments in AI and cybersecurity extend to leading-edge initiatives and partnerships that provide universities, local government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry with the information they need to protect themselves.

This is just the latest example of IU's collaboration to protect our citizens, businesses, and country. IU is working with public and private partners across the state and nation, including the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, to improve cybersecurity efforts and train a robust workforce. Among other joint efforts:

• Researchers from the IU Kelley School of Business prepared a first-of-its-kind "State of Hoosier Cybersecurity 2020" report for the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity. Follow-up work examines how cybersecurity attitudes and governance practices have changed during the pandemic. 
• As a founding member of a national consortium of university-based cybersecurity clinics to help universities and community colleges launch these partnerships, IU is equipping students with needed skills and protecting vulnerable communities in the process. 
• IU’s OmniSOC joined with international partners in 2021 in a new cybersecurity threat intelligence-sharing partnership to help organizations prevent and mitigate cyberattacks.

As we celebrate this new partnership with Purdue and Indiana’s Office of Technology, I'm proud of this recognition of IU's commitment to keeping Hoosiers and others around the world safe from the complex challenges posed by cyberthreats.

Pamela Whitten

President
Indiana University