How MIT students are helping to prevent cyberattacks
Students from the MIT Cybersecurity Clinic help local governments and other vulnerable organizations defend against digital threats. MIT's Cybersecurity Clinic helps local governments defend against digital threats. Students gain real-world experience through field assignments.
Key Takeaways
- Nicole Estvanik Taylor | Department of Urban Studies and Planning Publication Date : July 13, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact : Maria Iacobo Email: miacobo@mit.
- The city refused to pay ransom.
The attack incapacitated a swath of services, including real estate transactions and bill payment, and recovery costs soared into the millions.
- After completing instructional modules and passing a certification exam, students are assigned in teams to a client.
By the end of the semester, each team creates a report assessing the client's vulnerabilities to cyberattack and recommending steps to improve protection.
- Despite being gateways to essential infrastructure, many small municipalities and hospitals lack in-house staff trained in cybersecurity.
Demand for such experts far exceeds supply in today's labor market, and public sector budgets rarely can match the high salaries private companies offer qualified candidates.
- Chun is an applied social scientist with expertise in public policy and planning, and Susskind is a leading scholar of conflict resolution and consensus building.
Stats & Key Facts
- #So far, the clinic has provided more than 40 assessments, confidential and free of charge, primarily for New England municipalities and health-care organizations.
MIT's Cybersecurity Clinic helps local governments defend against digital threats. Students gain real-world experience through field assignments. Students from the MIT Cybersecurity Clinic help local governments and other vulnerable organizations defend against digital threats.
Nicole Estvanik Taylor | Department of Urban Studies and Planning Publication Date : July 13, 2026 Press Inquiries Press Contact : Maria Iacobo Email: miacobo@mit. edu MIT School of Architecture and Planning : Visiting the cyber range and security operations center at Bridgewater State University are (left to right) Muhammad Umar (Brandeis University), Kahlen Wheaton (MIT), Jungwoo Chun (MIT), Hannarae Lee (BSU), Larry Susskind (MIT), and Almaz Kasymbekov (Brandeis). Credits : Photo courtesy of MIT DUSP.
Caption : MIT lecturer Jungwoo Chun and Professor Larry Susskind (top center) lead a cybersecurity class discussion. Credits : Photo: Maria Iacobo Previous image Next image In May 2019, the government of Baltimore, Maryland, fell into chaos. Cybercriminals had locked the city out of many of its critical files and demanded payment to decrypt them.
For more details please read the original article at MIT News AI.
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