The University of Central Florida and Lockheed Martin, which donated $1.5 million to UCF to help create the Cyber Innovation Lab, opened the facility on February 15. The event was celebrated with a demonstration by UCF’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Club (Hack@UCF) and a panel discussion with U.S. military and Lockheed Martin cyber experts about how students can prepare for a career in the growing field.
L to R are John Cortez, Florida Representative; Tom Wright, Florida State Senator; Michael Georgiopoulis, dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science; Frank St. John, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin; David Maria, president, Hack@UCF; Thad Seymour, vice president, Partnerships, UCF; and Stephanie Hill, deputy executive vice President, Lockheed Martin.
“This lab will serve as the campus’ primary hub for students to develop and expand their information security skills, preparing them to enter this high demand field and take on the cybersecurity threats of the future,” said UCF President Dale Whittaker in a statement. “We are grateful for Lockheed Martin’s longtime partnership and strong commitment to our students’ success.”
The National Institute of Standards and Technology estimates there are more than 13,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Florida alone. That trend will continue, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts jobs for information security analysts will grow 28 percent by 2026.
“The future battlespace will be heavily reliant on cyber,” said Stephanie C. Hill, deputy executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. “By working with institutions like UCF, through labs like this one, we’ll all better understand and accelerate our shared capabilities and potential to adapt and innovate in the fifth domain.”
The new Cyber Innovation Lab on UCF’s campus is a 970-square-foot lab located in UCF’s Engineering I building. It will serve as a hub for the more than 350 students participating in cyber programs at UCF. Lockheed Martin’s donation will fund software and technology support to the lab, and employees will also provide cyber training and professional mentoring to engineering students.
“With this lab, we can practice for competitions, host workshops, and speakers, provide cybersecurity tools and resources, and give our student members a sense of community and help get them ready for future careers,” said Hack@UCF President David Maria, a senior studying computer engineering.”
Hack@UCF, a four-time national champion in competitions like the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition and the U.S. Department of Energy CyberForce Competition, will also use the lab as its primary practice center to encourage the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) talent to solve today’s challenging cyber problems.
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