HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – Marshall University broke ground on Friday for its Cybersecurity Institute. This is an addition to the Huntington campus that serves as a training ground to prepare students to defend against cyberattacks.
This all started in August 2023 when Gov. Jim Justice signed House Bill 117 into law. The bill allocated his $45 million to Marshall University to begin construction of a new research institute. In addition to this, the US Department of Defense contributed $5 million to fund the program last year, and plans to contribute $14 million this year and $15 million in 2025.
Marshall University already offers a degree in cybersecurity, but school officials say the new institute will focus on designing infrastructure to defend against cyberattacks. The curriculum evolves as new threats emerge.
According to the FBI's 2023 Internet Crime Report, more than 880,000 criminal charges were filed in 2023 due to cyberattacks. Also, a cyberattack may have cost him $12.5 billion forever.
Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, commander of U.S. Cyber Command, said Marshall University was chosen because of its high national rankings in cyber attack courses.
“We're close enough to the Washington, D.C. area, but not too close. So we can expand the population that we can tap into. There's a lot of talent in West Virginia, there's a lot of talent in the Midwest. That’s what we want to reap,” Skinner said.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) helped break ground on the construction site and has been involved with the project from the beginning. She shared her own thoughts on some of the benefits that the entire state of West Virginia will gain from this new cybersecurity agency.
“What it gives us is international attraction to our state simply because we have the best training in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. But for me, West Virginia I am extremely proud to be the leader here,” said Senator Capito.
The Cybersecurity Institute will have 13 laboratories for students, faculty, and government. The new building will also include dedicated classrooms and meeting rooms to further educate community members about the ever-growing threat of cyberattacks.
Marshall University President Brad Smith said the benefits of the new institute will not only apply to current Marshall University students.
“The amazing thing about the Cybersecurity Institute is that it becomes a resource for the community, for students, for alumni, for industry, and of course for government. So we have students who have gone through this program who can come back and leverage their assets and educate themselves. It gives us the opportunity to continue to do that,” Smith said.
Construction of the cybersecurity lab is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026, school officials said.
