A collaboration between the state of Mississippi, one of the state’s universities, and the U.S. military will serve to make strides in cybersecurity research and training.
A group of leaders, including Gov. Tate Reeves and Mississippi State University President Dr. Mark Keenum, gathered in Biloxi on Friday to announce plans for the Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center.
The 100,000-square-foot planned building on Keesler Air Force Base will serve as the headquarters for the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Initiative, building on statewide collaborations to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities.
Per a press release, the facility and collaborations will support community and military needs.
“The Cyber Center will strengthen Keesler’s mission to train cyber warriors, and it will serve as a hub for academic achievement and economic development for cyber, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technology companies and agencies,” Reeves said. “In short, the future is here in Mississippi.”
The Mississippi Cyber Initiative was launched in 2021 as a continuation of the partnership between Mississippi State University and Keesler to support the 81st Training Wing’s cyber training mission.
Since then, the initiative has been working to position Mississippi as a leader in cybersecurity, grow collaborations across government, defense, and industry, tackle cyber challenges, and enhance economic development on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“Keesler Air Force Base is the epicenter of all Air Force cyber operations training,” Col. Billy Pope, commander of the 81st Training Wing, said. “We can mark today as the day that we guarantee our relevance and our excellence in this space for generations to come.”
The Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center will be built through an enhanced use lease agreement between the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center and the Mississippi State Research and Technology Corp. Designed by Dale Partners Architects, the facility also includes event space and office slots available to private industry partners.
Mississippi Cyber Initiative activities include launching a digital forensics lab that is assisting 42 partnered law enforcement agencies on investigations that have a digital component, hosting cyber training exercises through an in-house cyber ecosystem, and leading K-12 outreach events to encourage the next generation of cybersecurity leaders.
