The Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP) is a coalition of Virginia universities in partnership with the Virginia Department of Elections to provide an innovative educational program designed to train future cybersecurity professionals to protect election infrastructure. Students participating in the program take a full semester gateway course covering sociotechnical cybersecurity election topics, attend a two-day kickoff bootcamp, work as summer interns in a local election office, and cap their experience at a one-day debrief and assessment event.

For more informaiton about the VA-CNP program and it's activities, please visit the VA-CNIP program webpage.

Goals and Impact

• Help localities assess and improve the security of Virginia’s election systems
• Grow the cybersecurity workforce
• Build a collaborative, sustainable coalition of universities, government, and private sector actors focused on election security
• Create a model for other universities and states for public interest cybersecurity programs
• Introduce students to career opportunities in public service
• Produce course and curriculum materials and make the materials available to others