USC Aiken takes next step toward enhancing cyber initiatives in South Carolina

On Feb. 1, 2021, South Carolina National Guard and a representative from USC Aiken signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on campus to support the enhancing cyber initiatives in the state.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. R. Van McCarty, the adjutant general for South Carolina said “Discussions of this cyber facility have been taking place for nearly four years and this is the next step in advancing cybersecurity initiatives in the state.”

McCarty and Dr. Sandra J. Jordan, USC Aiken chancellor, signed the MOU, an agreement for the South Carolina National Guard readiness center to be constructed on USC Aiken campus.

The readiness center, also known as the cybersecurity DreamPort, will soon be the home of the South Carolina National Guard’s 125th Cyber Battalion.

The readiness building at USC Aiken’s campus will allow for the South Carolina National Guard to support the academic partnership with USC Aiken, as well as utilize the nearby cyber capabilities including the U.S. Army’s Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, Georgia and the Savannah River National Laboratory’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC).

McCarty continued “We are proud to be a part of this joint project with USC Aiken. I feel as though it is critical that we invest in the state’s future in education, training, technology and cyber initiatives and this readiness center will be a step in the right direction.”

The South Carolina National Guard readiness center at USC Aiken is projected to begin in 2024.

Image courtesy of USC Aiken’s website.