Cyber Magazine January 2024 | Page 74

Georgia Tech balances cutting-edge research with robust cybersecurity : safeguarding intellectual property and empowering its research & academic community
GEORGIA TECH
Georgia Tech balances cutting-edge research with robust cybersecurity : safeguarding intellectual property and empowering its research & academic community

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the United States ’ top public research universities . In total more than 45,000 students study in person at the main campus in Atlanta , along with campuses in France and China , as well as through distance and online learning .

With nearly US $ 1.3bn annually in research awards across all six colleges and the Georgia Tech Research Institute , Georgia Tech ’ s mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition . Its mission and strategic plan are focused on making a positive impact in the lives of people everywhere . As explained by Leo Howell , Georgia Tech ’ s Chief Information Security Officer , an evolution has taken place when it comes to cybersecurity since he joined the organisation in October 2021 . There have been two aspects to this evolution : balancing cybersecurity with innovation , while promoting the importance of cybersecurity across the whole organisation .
“ What I want to do is to limit friction to our researchers and students who are looking to develop the new frontier of technology ,” he says . “ At the same time , while we ’ re doing that , we ’ re also trying to stop the bad guys from disrupting what we ’ re doing and stealing our research data .”
As Howell describes , his second focus has been around promoting cybersecurity as a matter of collective responsibility .
74 January 2024