Making Cybersecurity Accessible for All

Cybersecurity is a basic community need and a cornerstone of public interest technology (PIT), as nearly every system we depend upon has at least some digital or online component. Cyberattacks can cause chaos for hospitals, school districts or an entire government. As global cyber expert Kathy Liu notes for the World Economic Forum, “Cybersecurity may not come with the same stark visuals of wildfires or floods, but these digital forest fires have devastating real-world ramifications.”

Our Network has launched and grown a wide range of cybersecurity projects, from community clinics where students get hands-on experience working with local organizations to cyber policy fellowships that diversify and strengthen the pipeline of public interest technologists entering government.

This month, Francesca Lockhart (UT Austin) urges us to widen the scope of cybersecurity training to consider how we can bring the clinic model to K-12 settings, and our PIT in Practice profile of Florida International University shows the importance of leaning into your strengths and cultivating strong relationships in the journey of institutionalizing public interest technology.

Our Resources this month include toolkits for starting a cyber clinic, and our March Events & Opportunities section is full of job postings, webinars and workshops you don’t want to miss.

Read the March 2024 Issue of PIT UNiverse