University of Arkansas Little Rock

Attorney General Tim Griffin announces $1 Million cybersecurity grant to the University of Arkansas Little Rock

Griffin: ‘When it comes to cybersecurity, we are only as strong as our weakest link’

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement announcing a $1 million grant to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to establish a Cyberspace Operations Research and Education (CORE) Center:

“When it comes to cybersecurity, we are only as strong as our weakest link. UA Little Rock is providing a shield and sword for Arkansans as one of the nation’s top cybersecurity programs. Its faculty is focused on providing real-world knowledge to its students. The CORE Center will enhance the program’s ability to produce well-prepared students who will, in turn, protect our citizens and their businesses, and join the fight against foreign and domestic adversaries in cyberspace.”

UA Little Rock Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Dr. Ann Bain provided this statement:

“This funding and support are not merely investments in our programs; they are investments in the security and prosperity of Arkansas. With this backing, we are able to educate and prepare the cyber experts who will protect our state’s infrastructure, businesses, and communities for years to come.”

UA Little Rock Associate Professor Dr. Phillip Huff provided this additional statement:

“We are deeply committed to driving cybersecurity education forward—not only for our students’ futures but for the protection and prosperity of Arkansas. We are grateful to Attorney General Tim Griffin because this support will help ensure that UA Little Rock remains a leader in this vital field and that Arkansas businesses, communities, and critical infrastructure are equipped to meet future cybersecurity challenges head-on.”

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin

UA Little Rock part of $2.2 million grant for AI-driven cybersecurity project

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

A UA Little Rock professor and students are part of a university startup that has received a $2.2 million grant to develop an advanced artificial-intelligence automation and rapid-recovery hardware to protect industrial control systems from cybersecurity attacks.

Backed by the BIRD Foundation, Bastazo, a startup with strong ties to UA Little Rock and the University of Arkansas, will partner with Israeli-based Salvador Technologies on the project, which is known as Extracted Configuration Security (XCS). The initiative will address escalating concerns posed by sophisticated external threats, including ransomware.

“Our collaboration with Salvador Technologies represents a union of revolutionary cybersecurity concepts,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at UA Little Rock and co-founder of Bastazo. “Leveraging large language models to automate decisions in cybersecurity operations is not just a leap for us, but a giant step for the entire Operational Technology (OT) security sector.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/ua-little-rock-part-of-2-2-million-grant-for-ai-driven-cybersecurity-project/