Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and Portland State University have come together to form the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. The center was created by the state Legislature last year, as data breaches of the Oregon Health Plan and Department of Motor Vehicles exposed millions of Oregonians’ information, and ransomware attacks shut down the Curry County government.

The center will help local governments, state agencies, tribal governments, libraries and school districts address their cybersecurity needs. It will also work to coordinate workforce development initiatives and boost public awareness efforts across the state. 

Birol Yeşilada, a professor in PSU’s Hatfield School of Government, will serve as director of the new center. He joins us to talk about the biggest cybersecurity threats facing Oregonians and how the center plans to address them.