The Mission Continues: Advancing Cyber Resilience for West Virginia and the Nation

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This OpEd was originally published in S.C. Media.

December 16, 2025

Author: Cory Simpson, CEO, ICIT

At West Virginia University’s (WVU) inaugural Cyber Summit, a panel with WVU’s Chris Ramazan, TAC’s Chris Hollifield, Dragos’ Chuck Weisenborn, and myself representing ICIT, underscored that cyber resilience must be designed into critical infrastructure, not treated as an afterthought.

That conversation underscored a shared commitment among WVU Cyber, the Technology Advancement Center (TAC), and the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) to strengthen the systems that underpin American life. Standing with leaders I trust and respect, it was evident we were continuing a mission rooted in service to people and united by a common vision for a future we are building together for West Virginia and the nation.

Resilience rooted in recovery and service

Resilience gains purpose when it is defined through recovery, continuity, and service to people. It reflects our ability to absorb disruptions, regain momentum, and continue providing essential services. Modern infrastructure, and by extension, daily life, relies on that strength every day. Families experience it through the reliability of water and energy. Communities feel it via transportation and telecommunications systems that keep them connected. When resilience is rooted in recovery, these systems support the people who depend on them with confidence and stability.

West Virginia embodies this strength through its culture of perseverance, unity, and dedication to community. These qualities naturally align with the true meaning of resilience and position West Virginia to help shape the nation’s approach to strengthening critical infrastructure.

WVU Cyber: Protecting, leading, and building a statewide enterprise

WVU Cyber unites the university’s cyber disciplines under a shared mission to secure, protect, and defend local, state, national, and global interests. Its guiding call — Let’s Protect. Let’s Lead. Let’s Go! — demonstrates a dedication to shaping the future workforce, advancing research, and enhancing West Virginia’s role in national security. This mission is evident in the work of the Cyber Resilience Resource Center, which involves students and faculty from two-year and four-year institutions and supports rural water systems, local governments, small businesses, and critical infrastructure operators.

Students engage in projects that develop capability, confidence, and a clear understanding of their impact on communities. Faculty work with public and private partners to strengthen resilience across the state. WVU Cyber’s integrated approach enhances West Virginia while preparing leaders who recognize the link between their skills and the people they serve.

ICIT: Shaping national strategy for critical infrastructure

ICIT’s mission is to modernize, secure, and make resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. With support from our partners in resilience, our organization focuses on the infrastructure that serves and secures the American people: water and wastewater systems, energy, transportation, and telecommunications. Through research, collaboration, and policy engagement, we study how these systems are modernizing and how leadership can guide them through change. With a nationwide community of over 50,000 members, ICIT brings local insight into national strategy and works with government, industry, and academic partners to strengthen the systems Americans rely on every day.

TAC: Accelerating innovation and operational readiness

TAC drives innovation and enhances operational capability at the forefront of U.S. cyber operations. Its proximity to Fort Meade fosters a practical approach to workforce development, applied research, and immersive training environments. TAC’s bootcamps, education initiatives, and innovation pathways train professionals who handle operational technology, emerging threats, and the changing challenges of modern infrastructure. Its partnership with WVU Cyber creates new opportunities for students and boosts the region’s ability to develop and maintain mission-ready talent.

CY26: The beginning of what comes next

Calendar year 2026 provides a clear opportunity to begin advancing this work in coordinated and impactful ways. WVU Cyber will continue training the next generation of leaders through applied, community-focused experience. ICIT will expand initiatives centered on federal civilian infrastructure, national security enclaves, water and energy resilience, drone security, and the community impacts of AI and data centers. TAC will broaden training pathways that enhance operational readiness and promote innovation.

As these efforts align, the region builds capacity for the future and lays out a foundation for progress that extends far beyond the coming year. CY26 marks the start of a long-term effort to strengthen the systems that support American life.

People remain at the center of the mission

The strength of this partnership lies in its people: students who bring curiosity and dedication to their work; faculty who serve their communities; professionals who commit their careers to strengthening essential systems; and leaders who steer this mission with clarity and responsibility. Their shared commitment reflects West Virginia’s longstanding culture of service and perseverance, giving this mission both depth and momentum.

Continuing the mission and welcoming new leaders

Cyber resilience embodies a fundamental truth: the nation relies on leaders who guide critical infrastructure with presence, steadiness, and purpose. Through this partnership, West Virginia shows how to modernize vital systems, cultivate skilled talent, and support communities across the country. For WVU Cyber students, this work creates a pathway into careers that safeguard people and influence the nation's future. For readers of SC Media and the entire nation, it provides a model of collaboration rooted in leadership and coordinated action. For everyone committed to strengthening critical infrastructure, it offers an open invitation to engage in meaningful work with lasting impact.

If this vision aligns with your sense of purpose, we invite you to become part of it. Our organizations remain open to partners who share this commitment and want to help shape what comes next. CY26 is the starting point for the future we are building together. The mission is people, the mission is resilience through recovery and continuity, and the mission continues through leaders ready to take their place in this work.

Cory Simpson

Cory Simpson is a national security and cybersecurity executive with more than two decades of experience across government, elite military organizations, and the private sector. He leads DC-based organizations that bridge policy and technology, often advising companies across the tech ecosystem—including competitors—to advance modernization, strengthen security, and serve the American people.

About ICIT

The Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)3think tank with the mission of modernizing, securing, and making resilient critical infrastructure that provides for people’s foundational needs. ICIT takes no institutional positions on policy matters. Rather than advocate, ICIT is dedicated to being a resource for the organizations and communities that share our mission. By applying a people-centric lens to critical infrastructure research and decision making, our work ensures that modernization and security investments have a lasting, positive impact on society. Learn more at www.icitech.org.

ICIT CONTACTS:

Parham Eftekhari

Founder and Chairman

parham@icitech.org 

Cory Simpson

Chief Executive Officer

cory@icitech.org