RENO, Nev. – Vulnerability remediation platform Viakoo today announced the establishment of the Cyber Defense Leadership scholarship at the University of Nevada, Reno.
This new program will provide $10,000 to fund an annual scholarship to “recognize and nurture the next generation of cybersecurity talent and leadership at the university,” according to the joint announcement.
“With the emergence of new types of threat vectors, including AI-driven threats, more focus on creating next generation security solutions is urgently needed,” the announcement says.
Viakoo made this announcement at the university’s annual Cybersecurity Conference, which this year is focused on the impact artificial intelligence is having on both cyberthreats and cyber-defense.
“Northern Nevada as a region is at the forefront of ensuring the security of individuals and organizations, as evidenced through multiple high-tech companies based there, legislative leadership from Congressman Mark Amodei, and the University’s educational and research mission,” according to the joint announcement.
Why is Viakoo Funding the University of Nevada-Reno Scholarship?
“The skills gap in the cybersecurity industry remains as one of the biggest challenges to effective cyber defense,” says Bud Broomhead, CEO and founder of Viakoo, in the joint announcement. “Innovation must happen at a faster pace to combat IoT cyber vulnerabilities, which is why we are proud to work with University of Nevada, Reno Cybersecurity Center to advance our industry’s capabilities.
“Not only does this scholarship help to alleviate some of the financial burden for highly-motivated students but it also reinforces the importance of their studies in making a safer world,” he says.
“Cyber threats from IoT systems pose a severe risk to both digital and physical worlds,” according to the joint announcement. Within enterprises there are billions of unsecured devices, from smart cameras to industrial controls in power grids and factories, which create a massive attack surface.
“Hackers exploit outdated firmware, weak or default passwords or lack of certificates to create powerful botnets, launch crippling denial-of-service attacks or even cause dangerous real-world disruption and equipment failure,” the announcement says.
