Teaching Aggies to Protect U.S. Infrastructure

“We learned the basics of networking and what normal and abnormal network traffic looks like,” said an anonymous student who joined the initial DCLDP cohort in fall 2020. “We were the first filter, and if we saw anything unusual, we passed it on to the professionals.”

Students also receive help earning cybersecurity certifications that employers look for when hiring. Though the DCLDP is funded through the DoD, the program could benefit from help with certification costs, which can run as high as $1,000 per course. “In the cybersecurity industry,” said the student, “there’s an understanding that degrees don’t matter as much as certifications, which show what you know.”

Internships play a key role in the program, and many students will head to federal agencies tasked with defending the country from cyberattacks. “This unique experience allows students to apply classroom theory to work on real world cyber defense challenges,” said Erica Pearson, intern program manager for the Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command, where eight DCLDP students have interned since 2021. “We can have the best concepts, the ideal structure and the right equipment, but it won't work if we can’t find those individuals trained and educated to solve problems and make strategic decisions.”

“It was an eye-opening experience,” said the student, referring to his internship with a federal security agency in 2021. “I interacted with professionals doing exactly what I would do in a future cybersecurity
career.” With his degree in computer science, a cybersecurity minor and an impressive certificate he earned with the help of the DCLDP, the student joined the Air Force this fall to work in cybersecurity. He reported that real-world, hands-on experience is essential beyond what’s taught in class because the field is quickly and constantly changing.

In addition to gaining experience, interns are paid. Walter estimates that, on average, students earn $15,000 over the summer. “We try to work out a situation where the interns have sufficient financial compensation to show for their hard work, enough to help them with college costs.”

Students also receive leadership training through cyber competitions, which present lifelike threats and attacks that require teams to determine the most efficient ways to solve and defend. An added benefit to the program is that many students receive security clearance for their internships, a valuable and necessary component as they pursue government careers.

Though the program is only two years old, Walter said it’s working as intended. “The Department of Defense has provided tremendous resources to help pay for student training,” he said. “We received a gift to build a training cyber range and are also looking to expand our offerings in SCADA support.”

SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems manage much of the nation’s infrastructure, such as power generation and distribution, transportation and shipping infrastructure, and water and waste control. Security of SCADA systems is a vital, though often invisible, part of national security.

Through academic partnerships such as the one with Texas A&M, Pearson sees the talent pool for cybersecurity expanding. “We rely on a robust and capable cyber workforce to solve the nation’s toughest challenges,” she said.

Not only are participating students directed toward government work, but they are also ready to make a difference on day one when they get there. “The better prepared students are to take positions of service in federal programs,
the less lag there is from the time they’re hired to the time they’re contributing,” Walter shared.

Dr. Steve Cambone, the former undersecretary of defense for intelligence at the DoD and former associate vice chancellor for cybersecurity initiatives, believes that the university’s land-grant mission makes it imperative that Texas A&M rise to the occasion in the field of cybersecurity. “The fact that Texas A&M was established precisely to bring both education and practical knowledge of what it means to improve one’s security in the world really means something,” he concluded.

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