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By Kelsey Kendall

Cybersecurity students and Hampton Roads businesses and organizations mutually benefitted from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative – Coastal Virginia (COVA CCI) and Old Dominion University Cyber Clinic, a semester-long program that allowed students to gain hands-on experience and local businesses to receive free cybersecurity support.

This fall was the second time the clinic was offered. Throughout the semester, 15 students were trained on how to conduct a cybersecurity risk assessment and how to engage with clients to achieve the best results, working under ���������� School of Cybersecurity leadership, with ���������� faculty and with Valor Cybersecurity, a Hampton Roads-based business run by Greg Tomchick ’15, to make the most of the experiential learning opportunity.

The City of Suffolk, We Insure Things, TRS Productions and Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads were the partnering businesses this semester.

“Experiential learning opportunities like this are what will help these students develop as cybersecurity professionals who will make an impact in their professions and communities long after they graduate from Old Dominion University,” said Daniel Takabi, Ph.D., director of the School of Cybersecurity and COVA CCI. “The cybersecurity clinic is a mutually beneficial partnership between the University and small businesses in Hampton Roads, and I am excited to see that our students, faculty and small business partners are learning and developing cybersecurity practices together.”

Teresa Duvall, a lecturer in the School of Cybersecurity, internship director and COVA CCI outreach officer, said the growth she saw in the students who participated was “radical.” It was not just about knowing cybersecurity and how to perform a risk assessment. It was going out into the community to conduct site visits and learning about how the business operates so they could better serve the clients.

“These are brilliant, brilliant students,” Duvall said. “Add in the other aspects of an interdisciplinary nature – all these soft skills – and this is what you get.”

Before Thanksgiving break, the groups presented their findings to the businesses – everything from the results of the report to recommended practices to help keep them more secure from cyber threats.

Duvall said the clinic is a chance to provide valuable and proactive cybersecurity services for the Hampton Roads community as data breaches and ransomware attacks are becoming more common for small businesses that may be under-resourced to be proactive in this area.

Charles Kiriakou, Ph.D., director of information technology for the City of Suffolk, said he was impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm the students presented throughout the semester. He got his doctorate from Cappella University, but Dr. Kiriakou is also an alum who graduated in 1987 with a computer science degree and a Master of Business Administration in 1997. Dr. Kiriakou said he appreciated not just the chance to work with these students, but to also give back to his alma mater.

“I think highly of this organization, and I know the school is working hard to give students like the ones today some hands-on experience,” he said after the student presentation on Nov. 14.  

Hope Glenn, a senior in cybersecurity, said the experience has been great. It was an opportunity to gain some experience in the field before graduating, something she had not necessarily thought she would get before she started the clinic.

“When I first got into it, I was like, ‘I feel like I’m just checking a box,’” Glenn said. “But I really do feel like this has really helped me apply what I’ve learned to real life.” 

The clinic runs semesterly and is a paid experiential learning program. Accepted students receive $2,250 for the semester. Local businesses that are micro- to medium-sized, non-profit organizations, local government agencies and boards can apply to be a part of the program and receive free cybersecurity support. More information is available on the COVA CCI cybersecurity clinic .