Submitted photo Frank Hatten of West Virginia University’s Cyber-Resilience Resource Center leads a student team during an on-site cybersecurity assessment. The Center helps West Virginia organizations identify cybersecurity risks and ways West Virginia organizations can better protect themselves.

ELKINS – Frank Hatten, MS, Director of Operations and Outreach for the Cyber-Resilience Resource Center (CRRC) and Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity at West Virginia University, addressed the Rotary Club of Elkins, describing how the Center helps organizations across the state strengthen their cybersecurity.

The CRRC partners student talent with West Virginia businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government entities to help them solve real-world cybersecurity and IT challenges.

“When we increase security, that can be an inconvenience, but there is a reason behind it. That six-digit code sent to your phone helps protect you and adds another layer of protection to your password. If somebody compromises your password, through no fault of your own, there is hopefully a second way to prevent that threat actor from getting in there,” Hatten said. “When we increase security, we decrease end-user convenience. It can be a pain, but it does help protect you.”

Small organizations and rural communities can be attractive targets for cybercriminals and nation-state actors because they often have fewer cybersecurity resources than larger organizations. The Center’s student teams work with businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local governments to increase awareness of cybersecurity, data privacy, and online safety to help identify practical ways to reduce personal and organizational risk. Services range from basic cybersecurity assessments to proposing potential fixes or drafting policies and procedures that are lacking and are free to any WV business, non-profit, organization, government, or critical infrastructure. The only costs associated with implementing the Center’s recommendations are the expenses an organization may choose to incur for new or upgraded software or hardware.

Many businesses do not have reliable backups of their critical data. The Center’s team can assist in creating policies and procedures related to safeguarding data. Cybersecurity awareness training is also offered, either online or in person. “Cybersecurity is a shared goal across the board. We all have a shared interest in making sure we’re doing the best we can,” Hatten said.

Another area of focus for the CRRC is regulatory compliance. “A lot of organizations have to comply with HIPAA, FERPA, or other laws. We’re here to help organizations evaluate whether they are compliant in certain areas. Sometimes, they need to protect certain types of personally identifiable information, such as information collected through a ‘contact us’ form on a website,” Hatten said. “We’ll help organizations understand if the information they’re collecting needs to be protected.”

The student-based, faculty-expert-led teams also help organizations improve everyday processes. “A lot of nonprofits come to us and have no day-to-day computer system. They’re working on spreadsheets; they’re working with pen and paper and paper forms, and they’re writing things down that are sometimes sensitive,” Hatten said. “The lack of separation of duties between employees within an organization can also create risk by making too much information accessible to too many people. Our student team can assess information accessibility and offer recommendations, while also reviewing networking and IT needs such as wiring, firewalls, switches, and wireless access points to help strengthen the organization’s overall security.” Hatten said the work is ultimately about leaving the organization “in a better place than where we found it.”

The Center operates statewide with support from the federal Appalachian Regional Commission. The teams are composed of WVU students as well as students in good standing from other two-year and four-year institutions within the state. Each team has up to five students who are paid for their work. The students’ interests are key in assigning them to projects. “The students are getting true, hands‒on experience, seeing in real time what that computer is doing, how that firewall is protecting a network, and where every cable leads,” Hatten said. “They’re not just reading about it in a textbook. They’re out in the real world, gaining the practical skills employers desperately need while growing WV’s cybersecurity workforce and leading the charge to transform the state into a leader in cyber-resilience, workforce development, and cybersecurity education.”

The Center is also exploring ways to help organizations and communities share information about scams and fraud trends more quickly. The aim is to help the state and local communities get ahead of emerging scams and alert those who may be affected.

“The goal at the end of the day is to help our businesses, communities and our small towns. We’ve worked with a number of small nonprofits throughout the state, so it’s been a very rewarding experience for our teams and our students to be able to give back and support our state in such a vital and fast-evolving space.” Hatten said.

Organizations interested in requesting assistance, or anyone who wants to learn more about the Cyber-Resilience Resource Center and its services, can visit cyberresilience.wvu.edu, call 304-293-9807, or email crrc@mail.wvu.edu.

Rotary is a global network of more than 1.2 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in their communities, and in themselves. Visit Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International, visit the club’s Facebook page, Rotary Club of Elkins, or contact 2025-2026 club president Phillips Kolsun at phillipskolsun@gmail.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.