With so many academic programs for cybersecurity still playing catch-up, the bipartisan, bicameral Cyber Ready Workforce Act would create a grant program to support registered cybersecurity apprenticeships.
After the state of Nevada suffered a massive cyber attack that caused major issues across a number of government agencies, UNLV has now set its sights on training students to monitor future potential threats. Last month, the university established the NIC. The goal is training the next generation of IT professionals. It also acts as a hub to serve state industries and government offices, helping them secure their data.
At UNLV, which in March formally launched its Institute of Cybersecurity, the two-year Youth Rebel Start Academy within the College of Education, allows high schoolers to earn college credit and gain real-world experience through paid apprenticeships in multiple fields, including IT and cybersecurity. The UNLV Cyber Clinic also offers cybersecurity services at no cost to businesses that may need them, giving participants the chance to develop their skills in a hands-on environment.
Nevada legislators passed a sweeping bill, which took effect Nov. 18, to prevent the next state cyberattack. Experts recently explain what the bill means for Nevada’s future online safety.
November through January is typically the biggest time of the year we see scams. Often, scammers are using the method of ‘pulling on the heart strings.’ Scams fall into a lot of variety; some are low-key tech – which can be a simple go-fund-me.
According to a UNLV cybersecurity study from September, Nevada casinos in particular “are opportunistic targets because they have an extensive array of cyber entry points, have lots of money, and the public outcry is less conspicuous when they are attacked”. The study listed nearly 50 confirmed Nevada cyber incidents from 2007-2023, with the majority coming from 2015 onward. This increase in activity might overload the board with “false alarm” notifications, stakeholders warned.
As enterprise teams enter a new era of digital transformation powered by agentic AI, a major challenge remains: transitioning going from pilot to production.
A program at UNLV is working with Las Vegas Valley high schools to recruit future technology experts as demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to grow.
The major ransomware attack against Nevada discovered in late August has been underway since May, The Associated Press reports. Injection of a clandestine backdoor facilitated by a Nevada state employee's accidental download of a malicious system admin tool on May 14 allowed threat actors to create encrypted tunnels, conduct lateral movement, and infiltrate the state's password vault server by August, according to a post-mortem report from the state.
In response to a critical cybersecurity workforce gap across Nevada's major industries, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) this fall launched a new online Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, developed jointly by its College of Engineering and Lee Business School. The initiative directly addresses longstanding recruitment challenges, particularly for large local employers such as casinos and the airport.
UNLV launched a new online cybersecurity bachelor’s program this fall to build Nevada’s data defense system. The program was developed between the College of Engineering and Lee Business School. The program was hoping for 50 students but got 275, far exceeding expectations.
UNLV cybersecurity director Greg Moody’s phone was blowing up after news broke of a massive August 24 cyberattack on the state of Nevada’s network. When the dust settled, the general consensus among his peers was that it was unprecedented in scope.