Cybersecurity
Texas Cyber Clinic
About Us
Texas Cyber Clinic
The Texas Cybersecurity Clinic is a two-semester, learn-then-do experience where student teams provide free cybersecurity services to Texas small businesses, public agencies, and nonprofits.
In semester one, students learn core cybersecurity best practices and how to put cyber protections in place inside organizations. In semester two, they put those skills to work with Clinic clients, helping build a stronger, more cyber-resilient Texas while gaining hands-on, field-tested experience.
Both courses are taught and supervised by Professor Francesca Lockhart of the Strauss Center.
Clients and Services
Clients and Services
Clinic student teams of 3-4 assess, design, and render a free, customized cybersecurity improvement project plan for their assigned client organization over the course of one semester. The Clinic works with 7-10 clients per semester.
Strong client candidates are Texas-based critical infrastructure organizations with under 250 employees and little to no cybersecurity program or support.
No prior cybersecurity knowledge or experience is required of the client team. Clients should expect to commit no more than two hours of manpower per week to liaising with the Clinic student team during the service semester.
Prospective clients should contact Senior Research Program Coordinator Susan Crane at scrane@austin.utexas.edu.
People
Cyber Clinic Advisory Board
The Advisory Board provides input on the Clinic’s strategic direction, operations, policies, and course curriculum. The Industry Expert Mentors also coach Clinic student teams through their semester-long service engagements, serving as an expert resource and helping students build their professional networks in the field.
Prospective Students: Apply
Prospective Students: Apply
Applications for Fall 2026-Spring 2027 are closed. Applications for the Spring 2027 - Fall 2027 cohort will open in Fall 2026.
Applications for Fall 2026-Spring 2027 are closed. Applications for the Spring 2027 - Fall 2027 cohort will open in Fall 2026.
- Participation is limited to a small number of exceptional undergraduate and graduate students from any college or school.
- Strong candidates will be able to commit to two semesters of coursework and possess proven teamwork skills, an interest in learning and applying the technical aspects of cybersecurity, and a commitment to improving cyber resilience in Texas.
- No prior cybersecurity knowledge or experience required.
To Apply, Students Must:
- Be registered UT students in residence at UT during the semesters of Fall 2026 – Spring 2027. Students must also be available to take the both semesters in person.
- Have a GPA of at least 3.25.
- Be either an upper-division undergraduate student, or a graduate student in any major or degree program with the exception of graduate students enrolled in the MSISP and MSIS programs within the iSchool. Graduate students are encouraged to connect with their advisors or track supervisor to obtain approval to enroll in the course sequence before applying.
- Be able to complete all activities required during the program, including the Fall 2026 course and the Spring 2027 clinic course, which includes regular meetings with their assigned student team, the course instructor, and the client organization.
Applications should include
- A detailed statement of interest that explains your academic and professional interests and why you are seeking to participate in the Texas Cybersecurity Clinic.
- Résumé with your complete contact information, including email address, UT EID, and phone number.
- One unofficial college transcript (academic summary) which includes grades for the most recent semester.
- Short answers (250 words or less) to both of the two following cybersecurity-related questions:
Please describe who or what poses the largest contemporary cybersecurity threat to US-based businesses and explain why.
While surveying your client’s cybersecurity posture, you observe a vulnerability that you know how to remediate. However, this fix/process was not taught in the first semester of the clinic, and you’ve never done it before. What next steps do you take?
Please contact Susan Crane at scrane@austin.utexas.edu if you have any questions. Applications for Fall 2026-Spring 2027 are closed. Applications for the Spring 2027 - Fall 2027 cohort will open in Fall 2026.
Testimonials
This course has exposed me to many cybersecurity topics and I have met so many people that are professionals in this career. I can say now that I have considerably more confidence in my skills and have a good idea what my path in cybersecurity looks like.
The team helped us establish our cybersecurity policies and guidelines and left us in a strong position today and as we continue to grow. It was a tremendous opportunity to be a part of the clinic and to work with the students. My team and I are truly impressed.
Overall, the clinic is one of the few things I have done in college that directly prepared me for professional work, and it played a major role in helping me get a job in this field.
I felt like I was working with an agency to help move us forward in our cybersecurity posture, something we've put off regularly over the last 5 years. The team strived to help us move forward in our cybersecurity posture, aligned with my original proposals and guided by their sage advice.