"As Cyber Attacks Surge, the Defense Department Turns to Universities for Cybersecurity Grads"
As cyberattacks make the US, its businesses, and its citizens more vulnerable to data breaches, ransomware, and IP theft, the country's demand for cybersecurity professionals exceeds its talent pool. In 2022, the US cybersecurity workforce grew by five percent, but the supply-and-demand gap widened by nine percent. The gap may persist for a generation if the pipeline is not expanded significantly and quickly. In order to better defend against cyberattacks and electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) weapons, the Department of Defense (DOD) has collaborated with 19 universities, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the STEM-talent and defense-tech accelerator Griffiss Institute to train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. The Virtual Institutes for Cyber and Electromagnetic Spectrum Research and Employ (VICEROY) program groups university partners into six virtual institutes. Each institute receives $1.5 million over two years for its cybersecurity, EMS, cryptography, and data science efforts in accordance with DOD workforce requirements. VICEROY DECREE (DOD Electromagnetic and Cyber Research and Experiential Education) is a virtual institute led by Northeastern University that also includes Northern Arizona University, the University of Houston, and the University of South Carolina. This article continues to discuss the goals and structure of the VICEROY program.