Purdue cyberTAP Awarded Nearly $250,000 by the Center for Internet Security.
West Lafayette, IN – Purdue University’s Cyber Technical Assistance Program (cyberTAP) is honored to announce that we have been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Alan Paller Laureate Program grant from the Center for Internet Security (CIS®). This substantial award of nearly $250,000 will significantly bolster our efforts to strengthen cybersecurity resilience across rural electric cooperatives and other underserved critical infrastructure providers, making a tangible difference in the fight against cyber threats.
The Alan Paller Laureate Program—named for CIS Co-Founder Alan Paller—celebrates organizations that excel at delivering practical cybersecurity solutions and cultivating the next generation of defenders. This funding empowers us to develop and deliver targeted cybersecurity services built around the CIS Critical Security Controls, providing essential protection for critical infrastructure in underserved communities. By bringing enterprise-grade security practices to these vital utilities, we're not just strengthening individual cooperatives — we're helping to secure America's energy grid where it's most vulnerable.
"Purdue cyberTAP is making a real difference by helping underserved and rural communities strengthen their cybersecurity. Through the Alan Paller Laureate Program, we’re proud to support their efforts to protect critical infrastructure and build a more resilient future for all."
Honoring Alan Paller’s Legacy
Since its inception, the Alan Paller Laureate Program has embodied Alan Paller’s passion for actionable, real-world defense strategies. We at Purdue cyberTAP share this ethos, striving to deliver measurable improvements in security posture through clear, prioritized steps.
“Alan’s vision lives on in every network we help protect by extending best practices into rural America, we create ripple effects of resilience that safeguard not just one co-op, but an entire region’s power infrastructure.”
George Bailey, cyberTAP Director
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About CIS
The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS®) makes the connected world safer for people, businesses, and governments through our core competencies of collaboration and innovation. We are a community-driven nonprofit, responsible for the CIS Critical Security Controls® and CIS Benchmarks™, globally recognized best practices for securing IT systems and data. We lead a global community of IT professionals to continuously evolve these standards and proactively provide products and services to safeguard against emerging threats. Our CIS Hardened Images® provide secure, on-demand, scalable computing environments in the cloud. CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®), the trusted resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government entities.
About cyberTAP
As a division of Purdue’s Technical Assistance Program (TAP), cyberTAP delivers expert cybersecurity consulting, technical services, and workforce development to businesses and organizations across Indiana and beyond. With a sharp focus on practical, real-world solutions, cyberTAP empowers clients to strengthen their cyber defenses, upskill their teams, and meet today's complex security demands.
