The University of Tulsa’s Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute (OCII) announced the launch of the state’s first cyber range, which will focus on expanding services to protect and defend Oklahoma entities from cyber threats.
“The OCII Cyber Range will play a pivotal role in supporting Oklahoma businesses, fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government and preparing the next generation of cybersecurity experts,” said Rose Gamble, UTulsa’s vice president of research and economic development.
The new cyber range is part of the state’s plans for developing a skilled cybersecurity workforce and will serve K-12 students, undergraduate and graduate students, and professionals across the state. Additionally, the range also facilitates outreach to industry partners, consultants, small businesses, and government agencies.
Funding for the cyber range comes from the American Rescue Plan Act through the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology with matching funds from the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
“I am very excited about this major accomplishment in the advancement of The University of Tulsa’s Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute, which was partially funded through the state Legislature’s investment of ARPA dollars,” said state Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa. “Already a national leader in cyber training and security, UTulsa’s new initiative will significantly advance capabilities to produce an even larger highly skilled and sought after state cyber workforce. We will see the financial benefits of our investment in the university’s work for a very long time.”
The University of Tulsa said in a press release that the OCII Cyber Range is in the process of hiring a manager, planning programming, and recruiting organizations interested in utilizing the facility and technologies. Concurrently, the range is also developing curriculum for the range’s use. Additionally, the university noted that because the range is hosted in a cloud environment, OCII will incorporate it into its mobile classrooms.
