New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was at the University at Albany Friday as part of an effort to get more students to study cybersecurity — and then pursue jobs in the government.
Gillibrand joined local officials and school administrators at the new ETEC building, a $180 million complex home to students and researchers in disciplines like nanotechnology, atmospheric sciences, and the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity.
The visit was part of a number of stops by the Democrat to promote the Cyber Service Academy scholarship, which gives students free tuition in exchange for working for the Department of Defense.
She explained how the program works.
“Selected students will be required to work for the DOD a minimum of one year for each year of scholarship support they received. In fact, it would be like an ROTC program for cyber, a government-funded university program dedicated to training cyber and tech professionals for the civil service,” she said. “Currently, scholarship participants are eligible for roles within the DOD. But I'm working to expand the program so students can obtain cyber-related jobs in the intelligence community and all across the entire federal government.”
Gillibrand says the program is needed because the U.S. is falling behind at a time of increasing cybersecurity attacks, including one that affected Albany City Hall, where Democrat Kathy Sheehan is mayor. She says more of life has shifted online, including accessing government services.
“So making sure that it’s safe is something that those of you at the federal level fighting for us every day and bringing the resources that we need to our communities is going to help our communities be safer,” she said.
Gillibrand agrees that it’s a matter of national security.
“Just a year ago a ransomware attack forced the government of Suffolk County offline, causing officials to resort to fax machines, paper checks and taking down 911 calls by hand. Similarly, in 2021, a hacking group with suspected links to the Chinese government attacked the MTA’s computer system and could have put the safety of millions of MTA passengers at risk,” she said. “Cyberattacks targeting New Yorkers have increased more than 50% since 2016, costing our state hundreds of millions of dollars and affecting over 25,000 people every year.”
Cyberattacks in New York last year cost more than $775 million, according to a recent report from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
Gillibrand noted there are some 40,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the public sector at the same time the government workforce is retiring. According to her office, just 7 percent of federal employees in related fields are under age 30.
Kevin Williams is the interim dean of UAlbany’s School of Business.
“The University of Albany is particularly well suited to advance the goals of the senator’s program, given our deep faculty expertise spread across several schools and colleges, our existing multidisciplinary programs in cybersecurity, and a diverse student population,” he said.
Designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, UAlbany is one of 19 institutions in New York eligible for the program. Others include Utica University, Westchester Community College and Rockland Community College.
