MIT Students Bolster Cybersecurity for Cities & Hospitals

Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are proactively helping communities defend against increasingly frequent cyberattacks. In 2019, MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning launched the Cybersecurity Clinic, pairing student teams with municipalities and healthcare organizations to assess vulnerabilities and recommend low-cost improvements. The program functions as both a hands-on learning experience and a pro-bono service, addressing a critical shortage of cybersecurity expertise in the public sector.

Since its inception, the clinic has completed over 40 assessments, focusing on New England entities. The FBI documented an average of 2,765 cyberattacks targeting Americans daily in 2025, highlighting the urgency of the program. The clinic’s approach, termed “defensive social engineering,” emphasizes that effective cybersecurity relies as much on human behavior and organizational capacity as it does on technical solutions.

The program has expanded beyond MIT through a consortium of 61 universities and an open-access online course, extending its reach and impact. Clients report using the student-generated assessments to advocate for increased cybersecurity funding and prioritize improvements.