MN Cyber Clinic

The National Security Agency (NSA) has awarded Metro State University $1.45 million to launch a cybersecurity clinic that will help Minnesota organizations respond to cyberattacks.

Small businesses, nonprofits, schools and government organizations in the state will be able to access the clinic for free cybersecurity vulnerability assessments from students at Metro State starting in early-2024.

For decades, schools of law and medicine have operated “clinics,” where students work with real-world clients with limited resources and gain valuable hands-on experience.

The Metro State Cybersecurity Clinic adapts this model for the field of cybersecurity. The clinic seeks to train students from diverse backgrounds and academic expertise to strengthen the digital defenses of non-profits, hospitals, municipalities, small businesses, and other under-resourced organizations in our communities, while also developing a talent pipeline for cyber civil defense.

The clinic is a group of faculty and students helping under-resourced organizations defend themselves against cyber-attacks by using an approach called Defensive Social Engineering (DSE). Cyber defenders can use DSE along with other technical tools to defeat or compromise attackers. The clinic works with the management, IT staff and cybersecurity specialists in these organizations to help assess their vulnerabilities. All student participants are upper division cybersecurity majors, have completed industry recognized certifications, and have completed a training program on Cybersecurity for Critical Urban Infrastructure including role-playing simulation exercises.

Our approach is to work directly with organizations to assess their vulnerabilities and suggest low-cost improvements they can make. We believe that having a review of the status-quo is the first step in figuring out a plan of action that will prevent unwanted incidents. Teams from the clinic typically work with clients for two months to gather and analyze relevant information. Other services may be provided based upon initial findings.

The Clinic is looking for client organizations that want Cybersecurity Risk Reviews. Please contact cyber.clinic@metrostate.edu if interested!