Defending the Inland Empire’s Digital Frontlines

When was the last time you paused before clicking a link and wondered, “Is this safe?”

For most of us, that moment is fleeting. But for a local school district hit with a phishing campaign or a small nonprofit holding sensitive client records, that split second can be the line between a normal workday and a crisis.

Cybersecurity isn’t just a concern for big tech companies anymore; it’s a daily reality for community organizations with limited resources but high stakes. That’s exactly the gap Claremont Graduate University aims to fill with its new Inland Cyber Defense Clinic (ICDC).

On September 5, university leaders, faculty, students, community members, and the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles gathered on campus to celebrate the launch of ICDC, a nonprofit center housed at CGU. For decades, through IMS clinics and other labs, CGU students and faculty have partnered with external organizations to tackle real-world problems and turn coursework into hands-on consulting and research. ICDC brings this familiar CGU strength into the cybersecurity arena, where the need for skilled talent and practical solutions has never been greater.

Founded by Chinazunwa Uwaoma, a research assistant professor in the Center for Information Systems and Technology (CISAT) at CGU, the interdisciplinary hub has an ambitious mission to train multidisciplinary teams of students in cybersecurity skills while helping protect some of the region’s most vulnerable groups, including veterans, children, and seniors.

In other words, the clinic is both a classroom and a front line.

“The Inland Empire, like many metro areas and regions in Southern California, has seen an uptick in sophisticated cyber risks and attacks, especially among organizations that lack the resources and expertise to defend themselves,” said Uwaoma. “The demand for cybersecurity professionals has never been higher. CGU’s Cyber Defense Clinic is intended to help safeguard local communities while training the next generation of cyber-defenders.”

Protecting the Inland Empire’s “Digital Estate”

The Inland Empire is home to thousands of organizations that keep community life running, from nonprofits to small businesses, school districts, healthcare providers, and local governments. Many of them lack in-house cybersecurity staff, even as online scams, ransomware, and data breaches continue to grow more sophisticated.

To Uwaoma, the clinic’s work starts with a clear focus on who needs help most. “Our priority is to support small-to-medium nonprofits, community-serving nonprofits, local schools, social-service organizations, municipal offices, small businesses, and other resource-constrained institutions, especially those serving vulnerable or under-resourced populations (e.g., seniors, veterans, and teens). These groups often lack the funding or expertise to run their own cybersecurity.”

ICDC hopes to offer a suite of community-focused services such as:

• Security assessments for local nonprofits, small businesses, schools, and government offices that serve vulnerable populations.
• Cybersecurity clinics and workshops that teach practical “cyber hygiene” to staff and community members—covering everything from strong passwords to recognizing social engineering tactics.
• Targeted training for caregivers and educators that helps them recognize signs of online abuse among teens and intervene effectively.
• General support for nursing homes and senior living communities, which are frequent targets for attacks aimed at personal and medical data.

These services are designed to do more than just harden systems; ICDC hopes to empower people. The clinic’s work emphasizes human-centered, responsive education tailored to the real-world challenges of the Inland Empire.

For Ayush Enkhtaivan, who works with the clinic and serves as vice president of the CGU Cybersecurity Club, that mission shapes even the most routine tasks. “What excites me most about working at the clinic is that the work feels real and meaningful every day. On a typical day, I might be researching how other cyber clinics operate, identifying potential partners, or creating resources that make cybersecurity more understandable and less intimidating.”

Hands-on Learning for Tomorrow’s Cyber Defenders

For CGU students and students from the seven Claremont Colleges (7C), ICDC is also a training ground where theory meets practice. As Uwaoma explains, the clinic is designed so that learning and service happen side by side.

“ICDC brings together students from different disciplines and equips them with practical cybersecurity skills so they can work directly with local organizations to protect their digital infrastructure against cyber threats.”

Students can engage in applied work through cybersecurity-focused courses and seminars aligned with the clinic’s mission, including offerings in risk management, cloud security, cybersecurity essentials with optional certifications, and AI-enhanced Internet of Things (IoT) security. The clinic also connects students to the Cybersectronics Lab, where research tackles issues like Zero Trust architectures, healthcare device security, and network vulnerability analysis.