Current flagship
NebraskaCYBER MATRIX
Guided hands-on labs, a live cyber range, and an AI-enabled Security Operations Center.
A Security Operations Center, residency-style Intern Academy, and intelligent cyber range for Nebraska.
MATRIX—the Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Threat Response Initiative for Cybersecurity Excellence—is designed to scale and upskill Nebraska’s cybersecurity workforce. Two years of dedicated funding have supported a new Security Operations Center at the Peter Kiewit Institute and a growing program of applied work.
The Intern Academy uses a residency-style model: companies invest in students while they are still at UNO, creating a direct workforce pipeline with shared training and real operational experience. VECTR—Virtual Education for Cybersecurity, Threats, and Risk Prevention—adds guided curricula, hands-on cyber-range exercises, and intelligent tutoring.
Together, the SOC, Intern Academy, and VECTR form an ecosystem for training, applied research, and operational cybersecurity. Since January 1, 2025, the work has supported four faculty members, two staff members, 26 interns, and two graduate assistants. Some resulting engagements are protected by NDA or classification requirements.
The initiative continues to grow through philanthropic support, sponsored partnerships, company engagements, and proposals focused on regional cyber resilience.