Cyber crime is rising nationwide at a staggering rate. Just last year alone, the FBI reported more than 800,000 cyber crimes with a combined financial impact north of $10 billion. 

The threat impacts everyone – from major corporations and public agencies to small businesses and citizens. We’ve unfortunately seen it here in Las Vegas, too. It’s clear that the need for cybersecurity resources and professionals has never been greater. 

That’s where UNLV comes in. Since the university’s designation in 2019 as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, our commitment to cybersecurity research, workforce development, and service has flourished. 

We’ve created a joint master’s program in cybersecurity within engineering and business, our computer science program continues to be one of our fastest-growing majors, and a group of engineering faculty created a Free Cyber Clinic with support from the Office of Economic Development to help local small businesses reduce the risk of cyber crimes. 

This week, the UNLV College of Engineering announced a series of grants totaling more than $3 million to grow the clinic and support broader efforts focused on cybersecurity education and community programming. The latest grant – $500,000 from Google – follows recent awards from the Small Business Administration and National Security Agency, and a visit this summer from the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director. 

I invite you to read more about these impactful recent efforts, which highlight how UNLV has been quickly able to bolster efforts in response to emerging workforce and community needs. It’s a great example of the positive things that can happen when intention and impact converge. 

Keith E. Whitfield, Ph.D.
UNLV President