Fairfield University officials preparing for cybersecurity threats from Russian hackers

Officials at Fairfield University say they're preparing their engineering students to face the cybersecurity threats of tomorrow as state agencies shore up their defenses against the cybersecurity threats of today.

News 12 Staff

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Mar 10, 2022, 12:43 AM

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Updated 989 days ago

Gov. Ned Lamont joined state and local leaders at Fairfield University Wednesday to talk about cybersecurity as federal officials warn of attacks from Russian hackers.

Officials at Fairfield University say they're preparing their engineering students to face the cybersecurity threats of tomorrow as state agencies shore up their defenses against the cybersecurity threats of today.

Lamont says cyberattacks are more dangerous than ever as more records and state services move online.

State information officers say they thwarted over 200 "denial of service" attacks on Connecticut schools and colleges last year. One of them lasted for 112 days.

Security experts say they're working with utilities and businesses to add redundancies and shore up defenses.

The state's information security chief says there's a major skill gap to close moving forward, with hundreds of cybersecurity jobs open in Connecticut right now.

Fairfield University officials say nearly 60% of their engineering graduates stay in Connecticut to find a job.