STARKVILLE — A manufacturing plant uses an advanced computational fluid dynamics model to automate the production of steel.
But if outside parties hack into the plant’s computer system, they could gain access to the steel’s formula, and with a slight adjustment, ruin the whole batch.
Jim Martin, associate vice president for corporate engagement and economic development for Mississippi State University, presented this scenario to the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday afternoon, as just one example of why statewide cybersecurity is important for everyone.
“Anything that’s automated, that’s connected to a network, we have to be able to protect those processes, those materials, and that information,” Martin told The Dispatch. “We have to put those safeguards in place.”
For Martin, part of the solution to protecting sensitive information within the state is the Mississippi Cyber Initiative.
The initiative is made up of local, state and federal agencies, along with private sector groups across the state, all working together to implement the best possible cybersecurity for their respective groups.
“What we learned, when we started this initiative, is that we have tremendous capabilities that exist at our universities, our local, state and federal agencies, as well as our industry partners,” Martin said. “But we take a very fragmented approach to cybersecurity. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get all of those entities together and collaborate on how to solve cybersecurity issues for our state?”
Martin said the Mississippi Cyber Initiative started just before the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a brief pause. Now back up and running, it includes more than 150 members, with Mississippi State University, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Keesler Air Force Base and the University of Southern Mississippi as implementing partners.
Martin said MCI members across the state meet for conferences, where they brainstorm and work through cybersecurity concerns together.
“How can we leverage the expertise of all of those different agencies?” Martin said. “Because in order to do cybersecurity right, it requires collaboration.”
In 2022, MCI established a Cyber Ecosystem training center for up-and-coming cybersecurity professionals to teach them to detect and prevent attacks housed at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County campus.
In May of that year, MCI also established a digital forensics lab to support the processing of digital evidence for more than 33 law enforcement agencies in the state. Since the lab opened, it has processed more than 600 devices with an 80% success rate in retrieving data.
However, in the future, MCI’s facilities are expanding to a Cyber and Technology Center located at the Keesler Air Force Base. Martin said the group is currently negotiating an enhanced use lease with the base, to create MCI’s permanent headquarters.
“That would be the hub or the heartbeat of this activity, but we would have arteries and capabilities scattered throughout our entire state that would bring people together,” Martin said. “That has been our goal that we are making progress on.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 29 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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