The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Augusta University opens cybersecur­ity center

$100 million site built in response to expected high industry demand.

- By Eric Stirgus estirgus@ajc.com

State leaders hope Tuesday’s opening of a $100 million cybersecur­ity center will not only make Georgia safer, but produce more teachers and workers for one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy.

The Georgia Cyber Center, at Augusta University’s Riverfront Campus, is the largest investment in a cyber facility by a state government, officials involved in the project say.

More than 40,000 Georgia res-

idents now work in the field, including about 13,000 in the Augusta area. By 2021, there will be an estimated 3.5 million cybersecur­ity job open

ings worldwide, said Calvin Rhodes, executive director of the Georgia Technology Authority, citing industry research.

One-third of Augusta-area employers say they outsource cybersecur­ity needs, according to a university study.

“We’re skating to where

the (hockey) puck is going,” explained Michael Shaffer, Augusta University’s executive vice president of strategic partnershi­ps and economic developmen­t.

The intense economic developmen­t interest in cybersecur­ity reflects the rising financial opportunit­ies in the industry. Median

annual salaries for informa-

tion technology-related jobs in Augusta are more than $70,000, according to the university’s survey.

Many students appear to notice. The number of students taking cyber-related courses in the University System of Georgia has increased by 53 percent since 2014, from 17,208 in 2014 to 26,469 in 2017, according to system data. Eight USG institutio­ns have National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security as offering rigorous degree programs relevant to cyber defense.

The Cyber Center includes two buildings totaling 332,000 square feet. The first of those structures, the Hull McKnight Building, opened Tuesday. Constructi­on of the second building began in January and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The center will include a secure briefing area and an incubator and accelerato­r to foster innovation and entreprene­urship, university officials said. It will also house the Georgia Bureau of Investigat­ion’s cyber lab. Federal agencies including the U.S. Defense Department will use the center, along with the Technical College System of Georgia, the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Education to train teachers.

“There’s a need for greater talent and learning technology for the threat that is constantly changing,” said Rhodes, also the state government’s chief informatio­n officer. “Nobody is going to

solve this issue working in a silo.”

The center will be a vehicle for the state to train and retrain its workers. Some of that training will take place Wednesday.

e got to make sure it is an ongoing cycle of learning,” Rhodes said.

 ?? CONTRIBUTE­D BY AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY ?? The new Hull McKnight Building is part of the Cyber Center at Augusta University’s Riverfront Campus.
CONTRIBUTE­D BY AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY The new Hull McKnight Building is part of the Cyber Center at Augusta University’s Riverfront Campus.
 ?? CASEY SYKES/CASEY. SYKES@AJC.COM ?? Systems engineers monitor screens in December at a DeKalb County Schools technology center in Decatur. More than 40,000 Georgians work in the cybersecur­ity field.
CASEY SYKES/CASEY. SYKES@AJC.COM Systems engineers monitor screens in December at a DeKalb County Schools technology center in Decatur. More than 40,000 Georgians work in the cybersecur­ity field.

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