Middle Tennessee State University has begun construction on a $5.6 million cybersecurity training facility that will allow students, businesses and government agencies to practice responding to real-world cyberattacks.
The MTSU Cyber Range is being developed through a partnership with IBM and will use AWS and Cloud Range technologies to create an immersive virtual environment for cybersecurity training. MTSU says it is the first facility of its kind within Tennessee higher education.
The 2,446-square-foot facility will be housed in existing space on the first floor of the Miller Education Center on Bell Street in Murfreesboro. It will include a theater (a classroom/lab for simulations), observation room, faculty and staff offices and breakout rooms.
The facility is expected to be completed and ready for use in January.
The project is funded with $5 million from the state, with the remainder coming from industry partners Middle Tennessee Electric, Delta Dental and National Healthcare Corp., or NHC.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Jones College of Business Dean Joyce Heames marked the beginning of the project with a wall-breaking event Sept. 25.
“This really addresses a workforce need. It also shows the partnership that the university has with some of the best corporate entities in the world, like IBM and our industry partners within the community,” McPhee said.
The Cyber Range will allow students to practice responding to cyberattacks in a controlled environment before entering the workforce. Students will train on realistic scenarios involving ransomware, phishing and attacks on critical infrastructure, according to Greer.
The facility will also be available to local businesses, government agencies and K-12 schools to train employees and test cybersecurity response plans.
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