{"id":11589,"date":"2024-11-05T09:19:28","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T15:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=11589"},"modified":"2024-11-05T09:19:28","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T15:19:28","slug":"granted-access-uw-stout-125k-award-will-improve-cybersecurity-in-u-s-defense-supply-chain","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/granted-access-uw-stout-125k-award-will-improve-cybersecurity-in-u-s-defense-supply-chain\/","title":{"rendered":"Granted ACCESS: UW-Stout $125K award will improve cybersecurity in U.S. Defense supply chain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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UW-Stout students work on a computer server in a lab. \/ UW-Stout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the U.S., 50% of small- and medium-size manufacturers lack basic cybersecurity controls. It\u2019s a major national concern for those companies that work with the U.S. Department of Defense.<\/p>\n

A valuable new resource, thanks to a $124,555 federal grant awarded to UW-Stout, will help. The 12-month award for 2025 from the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy will create ACCESS \u2014 the\u00a0AI-Powered Cloud CMMC and Education Support System.<\/p>\n

CMMC \u2014 cybersecurity maturity model certification \u2014 is a Department of Defense program beginning in 2025 that will help businesses guard against cybersecurity threats. It will require defense supply chain partners that handle sensitive unclassified information to meet stringent cybersecurity standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a timely and critical project, as we are addressing the increasing demand for cybersecurity workforce development in the supply chain. The initiative will integrate AI and machine learning in a cloud environment to support CMMC compliance and training,\u201d said\u00a0Professor Holly Yuan<\/strong>, principal investigator and project lead.<\/p>\n

The certificate program also will strengthen career opportunities and industry workforce readiness for UW-Stout\u00a0cybersecurity<\/a>; and\u00a0computer networking and infrastructure engineering<\/a>\u00a0majors, prospective students and professionals in the field.<\/p>\n

ACCESS to cybersecurity solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

ACCESS will seek to streamline the complex process of meeting CMMC standards. Training and support through workshops and AI-powered tools will \u201chelp manufacturers navigate the often-overwhelming cybersecurity landscape,\u201d Yuan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis initiative will not only help defense suppliers understand CMMC compliance but also enhance cybersecurity training through partnerships with community colleges and industry leaders.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

Yuan will lead development of a network prototype that simulates a manufacturing system, incorporating cloud service providers, headquarters, branch offices and teleworkers.<\/p>\n

The prototype will provide scenarios for different CMMC levels that simulate threats. Participants will learn how AI, machine learning \u2014 an aspect of AI that involves pulling information from data and automatically learning from it \u2014 and cloud technologies enhance cybersecurity compliance.<\/p>\n

To streamline CMMC requirements, Yuan plans to\u00a0build an ACCESS AI bot powered by a\u00a0large language model to automate compliance tasks, provide real-time guidance, and simplify complex regulatory processes for defense contractors.<\/p>\n

The certificate training program will be integrated as part of the Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity curriculum at UW-Stout, which has rapidly grown since its launch in 2022 to more than 130 students. The program aims to expand its role in equipping students with cutting-edge, hands-on AI and cybersecurity compliance skills.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough ACCESS, we are equipping manufacturers with the tools to understand and meet CMMC compliance, strengthen their security posture and protect sensitive data. Simultaneously, we are preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to lead in this increasingly critical field,\u201d Yuan said.<\/p>\n

Students from the cybersecurity and computer networking programs will be engaged as researchers for ACCESS project, like with a previous Department of Defense grant-funded project, Smart Manufacturing with 5G and Machine Learning.<\/p>\n

Yuan noted that a $299,000 grant in 2023 for a cybersecurity student internship program with state employers, through the Department of Workforce Development, has been extended for a second year. Ten companies are participating.<\/p>\n

Grant application and management at UW-Stout is coordinated through the\u00a0Office of Research and Sponsored Programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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National Center for cyber defense<\/strong><\/h3>\n

UW-Stout\u2019s 2017-22 designation as\u00a0a\u00a0National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity for Cyber Defense<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0recently renewed<\/a>\u00a0through the 2028 academic year by the National Security Agency.<\/p>\n

UW-Stout was the first four-year university in the state to receive the honor. Only about 4% of schools in the U.S. earn the designation.<\/p>\n

The computer networking and infrastructure engineering program is the only such program in the state to receive the national Center of Academic Excellence Program of Study honor.<\/p>\n

Along with the cybersecurity and CNIE majors, UW-Stout has programs in\u00a0computer science<\/a>; and\u00a0applied mathematics and computer science<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The week of Oct. 14-19 has been declared\u00a0Cybersecurity Career Week<\/a>\u00a0by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a high demand for a talented cybersecurity workforce,\u201d NIST said, noting that the U.S. Department of Labor predicts information technology and cybersecurity \u201cwill be among the fastest growing and best-paying jobs over the next decade.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Written by Jerry Poling<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uwstout.edu\/about-us\/news-center\/granted-access-125k-award-will-improve-cybersecurity-us-defense-supply-chain<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the U.S., 50% of small- and medium-size manufacturers lack basic cybersecurity controls. It\u2019s a major national concern for those companies that work with the U.S. Department of Defense. A valuable new resource, thanks to a $124,555 federal grant awarded to UW-Stout, will help. The 12-month award for 2025 from the U.S. Department of Defense […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":11611,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[90],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-11589","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-stout"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/11589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=11589"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=11589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}