NC West Virginia News

West Virginia University (WVU) is set to establish a Cyber-Resilience Resource Center with the support of a $1.5 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. The center aims to enhance cybersecurity and cyber-resilience for businesses in West Virginia, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, and critical infrastructure.

Chris Ramezan, executive director of the CRRC and assistant professor of cybersecurity at WVU's John Chambers College of Business and Economics, highlighted the center's mission: “The vision for the CRRC is to transform WVU and the state of West Virginia into the nation’s shining beacon for cyber-resilience, critical infrastructure defense and cybersecurity education to train the next-generation cybersecurity workforce.”

Located at Reynolds Hall but functioning as a statewide initiative, the CRRC will offer direct assistance through consulting, strategic guidance, and technical services across all 55 counties. It will also create training materials for businesses to improve their cyber-resilience.

Ramezan noted that businesses would benefit from increased eligibility for federal contracts by navigating compliance requirements. The center will be accessible to any business or organization in West Virginia.

The CRRC aligns with WVU's partnership with the National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity in Critical Infrastructure. This collaboration supports efforts to enhance critical infrastructure in line with national security objectives.

The funding is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization initiative aimed at boosting employment and investment in Appalachia.

The concept for the CRRC originated from a student research project by Azeem Khan. Khan's research concluded that such a center would benefit West Virginia businesses by enhancing protection against cybercriminals while providing students with valuable experiential learning opportunities.

“This is something that will make WVU and West Virginia a national leader in cybersecurity,” said Khan. He worked closely with Ramezan on this initiative during his academic career at WVU.

Liz Vitullo, assistant vice president of economic innovation at WVU Office of the President, will serve as director for strategic advancement at the CRRC. Vitullo played a crucial role in transforming Ramezan and Khan’s research into a proposal for the center.

Ramezan emphasized that student involvement would extend beyond Khan. Both undergraduate and graduate students from any higher education institution in West Virginia can apply for paid fellowships as Cyber-Resilience Fellows.

“Providing students with hands-on experiences has really been the Achilles heel of many cybersecurity programs,” Ramezan stated. He expressed confidence that growing cybersecurity jobs within West Virginia would keep talent within the state.