According to a recent news release, the university system’s Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) — a research institute that studies real-world applications of technology to improve people’s lives — is working with UC Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) to add a dedicated cybersecurity internship to CITRIS’ eight-week internship program. The partnership also intends to build cybersecurity skills into other internships across the fields of aviation, climate and energy, data, digital health and semiconductor technology. These are collectively open to students at UC’s Berkeley, Merced, Davis and Santa Cruz campuses.
As most research has found cyber attacks increased in 2023 and have cost the U.S. economy billions over the past five years, officials said they hope the new program and others like it will contribute to filling the more than 550,000 vacant cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. today.
“Cybersecurity is vitally important as digital technology continues to evolve and expand into new areas,” Camille Crittenden, executive director of CITRIS, said in a statement. “We’re glad to partner with CLTC to help more students at our four UC campuses develop their cybersecurity acumen and gain valuable work experience.”
According to the news release, the partnership will enable CLTC to bring at least a handful of new companies into the CITRIS Workforce Innovation program, which will bring the total number of host companies in the program from 50 to 55. CLTC also hopes to expand its summer cohort from about 85 students to 100. CLTC’s researchers will also share their original research through the program.
The news release also noted that the new initiative will build on a previous collaboration between CITRIS and CLTC — the establishment of the AI Policy Hub at UC Berkeley.
“It’s important that universities and industry innovate together to bring more talent into the cybersecurity workforce, including women and others underrepresented in the field,” Ann Cleaveland, CLTC’s executive director, said in a public statement.
