BATON ROUGE, La.—The state of Louisiana is establishing a cybersecurity center here that will analyze hacking threats and bolster information sharing among state and federal agencies, industry experts and academics in an effort to strengthen computer network security.
Gov. John Bel Edwards and Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis of the Louisiana National Guard announced the plans. They said the center will be located in a coastal research complex called the Water Campus near the state capital’s downtown, the Associated Press reported.
The National Guard will work on the cybersecurity efforts with LSU research affiliate Stephenson Technologies and private defense contractor Radiance Technologies.
The center will support missions at Fort Polk and Barksdale Air Force Base and be available to respond to cyberattacks on government agencies, schools and private businesses, according to Edwards’ office.
$2-Million Budget
Louisiana will spend $2 million to lease and build out the space at the facility, the AP noted.
“We want everyone’s data and privacy to be safe and secure. So it’s incumbent upon us to invest in cybersecurity measures that protect our citizens from damaging attacks,” Edwards said in a news release. “Establishing this facility will provide one of the greatest tools for that safety.”