Fighting for Their ‘Home Team’ on the Ground and in Cyberspace
April 29, 2024
Protecting Louisiana Higher Education
They both grew up in Gonzales, Louisiana, the “jambalaya capital of the world,” but never met. Then, as adults, they ended up defending their state and nation together on two fronts. First with the Louisiana Army National Guard, including a nine-month deployment in the Middle East where they served in the same unit, and now through the LSU Security Operations Center, or SOC, protecting not just LSU but universities and colleges across the state from cyberattacks.
LSU computer science seniors Easton Kling and Micah Champagne are quick to connect their military experience and work as LSU cyber analysts, “but here, it’s not life or death, and you’re not covered in sand all the time.”
LSU’s SOC and nation-leading cybersecurity model for higher education in Louisiana is already providing 24/7 protection for several schools. The team’s ambitious plan is to protect as many as 40 institutions across the state from cyberattacks by next year, with students actively learning and working together on the front lines. LSU’s industry partner TekStream helps train the students and tackles cyber threats alongside them.
“LSU’s idea to team up with all of these other schools in Louisiana makes so much sense from our perspective,” TekStream CEO Rob Jansen said. “By sharing threat data and preventing small cyberattacks from escalating into larger attacks, every school and the whole state are better protected.”
“Honestly, I don’t think any other university in the country has an opportunity like this at this point,” said Champagne about the experience he’s gaining from working in the SOC.
Students Easton Kling, Micah Champagne, Ellen Hoffman, Spencer Malone and Timmy Tran work in LSU’s Security Operations Center to protect Louisiana against cyber threats.
– Elsa Hahne/LSU
“We are glad to see how LSU students who are also Louisiana National Guardsmen are bringing their military training and expertise into the LSU Security Operations Center. The U.S. Department of Defense is expanding missions into new domains, such as cyber, and LSU continues to collaborate to support Louisiana’s cyber mission.”
Colonel Paul M. Perron, director of cyber operations, Louisiana Air National Guard