LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) was back at his alma mater Thursday to talk about funding for cybersecurity programs, like one already in place at the University of Louisville. 

What You Need To Know

  • Sen. Mitch McConnell visited the University of Louisville Thursday

  • He talked about $20 million in new federal funding available for cybersecurity workforce training

  • UofL plans to compete for some of the funding

  • The funds are part of a massive federal spending bill signed into law last month 

“They are training people in this highly important area of cybersecurity that we’re all dealing with, both in the private sector and in the government sector,” he said. “These days, it’s the new reality where we are. Kentucky’s university system is at the center of our country’s cybersecurity field and I tried to help them get there.”

More than $6 million in funding from the National Security Agency helped launch a cybersecurity workforce certificate program in 2020, and it has enrolled more than 200 students, UofL said in a news release. 

Now, the university will be eligible to compete for some of the $20 million in new federal funds included in the $1.7 trillion dollar spending bill signed into law last month.

“A strong cybersecurity workforce is the most important way that we get there, that we get the protections we need to secure businesses, to secure critical infrastructure like energy systems, water systems all across the commonwealth, all across the nation,” said Kevin Gardner, executive vice president for research and innovation at UofL.  

Sharon Kerrick, associate professor and assistant vice president of UofL Digital Transformation Center, said the university would like partner with other universities to train them and hold workshops and awareness campaigns about cybersecurity.

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