Cybertrust Massachusetts CEO Peter Sherlock addresses attendees at the Cyber SOC opening (Photo courtesy Henry Marte)

LOWELL – A new Cyber Security Operations Center (Cyber SOC) at UMass Lowell is helping fortify area cities, towns and defense industrial base companies against cyber threats, while providing hands-on training for the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

University, industry and government leaders gathered Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new Cyber SOC. The event was followed by the Middlesex 3 Defense & Innovation Summit, which brought together defense industry professionals, business leaders and regional partners aimed at keeping Massachusetts’ defense industry strong.

Located on UMass Lowell’s campus as part of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor (LINC), the center provides area governments, nonprofits and businesses with expert guidance to address their cybersecurity needs.

“UMass Lowell’s new Security Operations Center builds on Lowell’s history of innovation while helping protect the systems our communities and businesses rely on every day,” said U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan. “This new addition to the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor shows what we can accomplish when our universities, local communities, and partners across government and the private sector work together. The center is part of UMass Lowell’s mission to make education and career training accessible to everyone. Students will gain real-world skills, land good-paying jobs, and build their futures right here in the Merrimack Valley.”

The Cyber SOC will also give UMass Lowell students paid career-connected experiences, putting them on a path for professional success after graduation.

“We’re excited to open the UMass Lowell Cyber SOC in the growing LINC ecosystem, where it will create new opportunities for our students while helping organizations and communities navigate an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen. “By giving students hands-on experience tackling real-world cyber challenges, we’re preparing them for careers in cybersecurity and helping build the skilled workforce that employers and communities need.”

Vinnie DiFronzo, executive vice president of the Air Force, Space, and Intelligence Business Group at SAIC, discusses his company’s commitment to the project. (Photo courtesy Henry Marte)

The Cyber SOC is part of a larger cybersecurity initiative at UMass Lowell supported by a $1.3 million investment from SAIC to strengthen the region’s cyber resilience and develop a skilled workforce.

“Protecting our communities and our nation’s defense requires strong cyber defenses at every level, including smaller organizations with limited resources, and it is becoming a much more pressing issue as the cyber threat evolves” said Vinnie DiFronzo, Executive Vice President of the Air Force, Space, and Intelligence Business Group at SAIC. “SAIC is proud to partner with UMass Lowell to help these organizations protect their operations while giving students paid experience defending real systems. Together, we’re strengthening the defense supply chain and preparing the cybersecurity workforce our nation needs.”

The MassCyberCenter and Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM), divisions of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), also awarded UMass Lowell a $300,000 grant to establish the Cyber SOC.

“Massachusetts is strengthening its defense industrial base by making targeted investments in infrastructure, threat detection awareness and workforce development,” said MassTech Deputy Director and Chief Investment Strategist Ben Linville-Engler. “The UMass Lowell Cyber SOC will play an active role in supporting this mission by giving young professionals the skills and hands-on experience needed to ensure both national and economic security by protecting small businesses, municipalities and residents across Massachusetts.”

In 2024, data breaches affected nearly 4.5 million Massachusetts residents, according to the state’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. Aiming to significantly reduce that figure, protect critical infrastructure and enhance economic stability, the UMass Lowell Cyber SOC provides area governments, nonprofits and businesses with services including cyber system evaluations; computer and server monitoring; analysis of email defense systems, local networks and servers; and the detection and interception of suspicious activity.

The nonprofit CyberTrust Massachusetts operates the Cyber SOC and offers students paid SOC analyst internships, where students gain practical cybersecurity experience working in the center.

“The statewide SOC that we’ve now extended to UMass Lowell takes a bold approach to addressing workforce development and security issues simultaneously by delivering advanced cybersecurity services using a staff consisting of mostly student interns,” said Peter Sherlock, CEO of CyberTrust Massachusetts. “The result is a set of services that local organizations can afford and unparalleled learning experiences for students.”

The UMass Lowell Cyber SOC is the fourth such facility across the commonwealth. It is unique in its support of small- to mid-sized companies in the defense industrial base.

The center helps advance the goals of Massachusetts’ Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD), an initiative focused on strengthening the commonwealth’s defense sector, accelerating innovation and developing a highly skilled workforce.

The Cyber SOC is housed next to the university’s Cyber Range, a learning lab where students sharpen their skills in identifying and intercepting cyberattacks. It is also the latest addition to LINC, a growing innovation ecosystem that drives research, workforce development and economic growth while creating opportunities for students, faculty, companies and the community.

“The Cyber SOC is a great example of what we mean when we talk about LINC, bringing together university capabilities, industry and public partners to solve problems that none of us can address as effectively alone,” said Anne Maglia, UMass Lowell vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development. “By co-locating the Cyber SOC with our Cyber Range and the broader innovation ecosystem, we can help companies, especially small and mid-sized businesses, strengthen their cyber resilience while also creating new opportunities for our students and our region.”

UMass Lowell, industry and government leaders gathered on the university’s campus on Thursday to open a new Cyber Security Operations Center (SOC) that will provide area municipalities, nonprofits and businesses with expert guidance to address cybersecurity needs. (Photo courtesy Henry Marte)