The Tufts Cybersecurity Center for the Public Good is proud to offer a Cybersecurity Clinic. Our Cybersecurity Clinic offers a range of pro bono services to non-profit and under-resourced organizations, while preparing both undergraduate and graduate students to become industry leaders. This initiative, in partnership with the School of Engineering, Tisch College of Civic Life, and The Fletcher School, builds on the interdisciplinary expertise at Tufts, and aims to build a diverse and inclusive cybersecurity workforce in the strong tradition of teaching, research, and public service at Tufts.
Our Cybersecurity Clinic is a member of the The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, an international network of university-based cybersecurity clinics and allies working to advance cybersecurity education for public good (https://cybersecurityclinics.org/about/).
Information for Prospective Clients
Teams of students will work directly with organizations. Available services include: training, password management, asset tracking, incident response planning, business continuity planning, risk mitigation, source code review, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing. For more details or expressing interest in participation, please contact Ming Chow, the Director of the Cybersecurity Clinic, at cyberclinic@tufts.edu.
Information for Students
The Cybersecurity Clinic (CS 195/196) is a full-year academic experience, 3 credits each semester (total of 6 credits). Students can substitute CS undergraduate or graduate Capstone requirement with Clinic work. Meeting time is Mondays, 5:30 - 7:00 PM EST virtually, cap of 20 students.
The Clinic is open to undergraduate and graduate students, including online students. Prerequisites: students must have taken CS 116 Introduction to Security OR PS 188 / CS 28 Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare OR CS 114 Network Security --and have earned a grade of an A- or better.
To join the Clinic, you will need to apply. Complete the application below, due end of the day Monday, March 24th. Selected students will be determined by Friday, March 28th.
Timeline
- Friday, February 28th: Application for students to join Cybersecurity Clinic in 2025-2026 opens.
- Monday, March 10th at 7:00 PM EST: 30 minute webinar on 2025-2026 Cybersecurity Clinic. RSVP for the webinar.
- Monday, March 24th at 11:59 PM EST: Application closes.
- Friday, March 28th (after spring break): Acceptance emails on who will join Cybersecurity Clinic in the 2025-2026 academic year to be sent; students will be given permission to enroll in CS 195 Cybersecurity Clinic for fall 2025 on SIS.
- Monday, Cinco de Mayo (May 5th), 6 - 8 PM EST: 2024-2025 Cybersecurity Clinic Team Appreciation Dinner, Final Presentations, After-Action Reviews. Students in the 2025-2026 cohort will be required to attend.
- Early summer 2025: call for alums to mentor 2025-2026 students will open. Alums will be a fictitious client for a group of students will work. This will be a training exercise for the students the first three weeks in fall 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a course syllabus?
Here is the course syllabus for the inaugural 2024-2025 year.
Will we get paid for this?
No. Academic credit only.
Do I have to be a Computer Science major or minor to do this?
No.
Are the non-profit organizations primarily from the Greater Boston area?
We can work with organizations based in the United States. A number of the organizations we are currently working with are based in the New England region.
Can you list some of the organizations the Clinic have worked with?
No to protect client confidentiality.
Where can I learn more about the Tufts Cybersecurity Clinic?
See https://now.tufts.edu/2024/12/06/these-students-work-keep-nonprofits-safe-hackers, https://www.govtech.com/education/higher-ed/tufts-university-students-help-nonprofits-with-cybersecurity, and https://cybersecurityclinics.org/about/.