The Center for Critical Infrastructure Security (CCIS) has been awarded the Maryland Department of Labor’s Cyber & AI Clinic Grant, part of a broader $4 million statewide investment announced by Gov. Wes Moore to prepare Maryland’s workforce for an artificial intelligence-driven economy.
The funding will support the launch of CCIS’s Think Like a CISO Academy (TLCA), a statewide cyber and AI clinic designed to strengthen both workforce readiness and community resilience. The initiative aims to train the next generation of cybersecurity and AI governance professionals while providing direct support to nonprofit and community-based organizations across Maryland.
CCIS is a Maryland-based nonprofit focused on strengthening the cybersecurity and operational resilience of organizations that provide essential services, including food banks, health clinics, water systems, and other community nonprofits. The organization was founded on the premise that critical community institutions—particularly those serving vulnerable populations—should have access to the same level of cybersecurity expertise as large enterprises.
Through the TLCA program, participants will receive hands-on training designed to prepare them for leadership roles in cybersecurity and AI governance. At the same time, the academy will work with frontline community organizations to assess risk, improve cyber hygiene, and build more resilient operational practices.
State officials have framed the Cyber & AI Clinic Grant program as a workforce development initiative aimed at aligning training opportunities with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. CCIS’s selection reflects a model that combines workforce preparation with direct service to critical infrastructure organizations operating at the community level.
(AI was used in part to facilitate this article.)