University to Open Cyber Lab in Central Florida.

• Author: Tadjdeh, Yasmin
• Position: News Briefs

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The University of Central Florida is establishing a new cyber center with financial and mentoring support from Lockheed Martin, the organizations announced in December.

The facility--known as the cyber innovation lab--is poised to open in February, said Michael Georgiopoulos, dean at the college of engineering and computer science at UCF. Lockheed has pledged to donate $1.5 million toward the effort.

"We have [had] a tremendous partnership with Lockheed Martin over the last 50 years and we hope that this gift for the cyber innovation lab at our university will be the beginning of another future relationship," Georgiopoulos said during remarks at the National Training and Simulation Association's annual Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The center--which will be located on the school's main campus in Orlando--will be particularly useful for the university's Hack@UCF club, where participating students hone their offensive and defensive cybersecurity skills, he said in an interview. The club has won a number of national accolades, he added.

Tom Warner, director of Lockheed Martin's cyber defense, range and resilience organization, said: "The investment in UCF is an investment in...