MCALLEN, Texas - South Texas College (STC) has received a $467,000 National Science Foundation grant to establish the Rio Grande Valley’s first Cybersecurity Clinic.
It is set to launch in spring 2026.
The clinic will provide free cybersecurity services to local small businesses and organizations—including nonprofits, health clinics, schools, and more—helping them strengthen their defenses against data breaches and cyberattacks that often devastate small enterprises.
Operated by STC Cybersecurity students under faculty supervision, the clinic will offer risk assessments, penetration testing, incident response, vulnerability analysis, and cybersecurity awareness training, giving students valuable real-world experience while safeguarding the community.
Through this initiative, STC joins the national Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics alongside leading universities, with the long-term goal of making the program sustainable and impactful well beyond its initial three-year funding.
“We are excited to announce that this initiative, which has been about a year in the making, is finally coming to fruition. There are a few cybersecurity clinics around the state and many more nationally and internationally, but this will be the very first for the Valley,” said STC Assistant Professor of Computer Science Nicholas Hinojosa.
“This will help make our business community safer, while providing our students with the experience needed to be more marketable and employable.”
Hinojosa said the clinic is available to any small business or organization that are underserved in the cybersecurity area, such as nonprofit organizations, health clinics, faith-based organizations, restaurants, boutiques, libraries and schools.
“These clinics are really open to anyone who wants to keep their businesses or organizations safe, and best of all, it’s free,” Hinojosa said. “We encourage our local businesses to reach out about information or to sign up. Although this grant is only three years, our goal is to make this initiative sustainable for many more years to come. This is a great community service effort that will make a positive impact.”
Francisco Salinas, STC department chair and assistant professor of cybersecurity, pointed to a recent Accenture Cybercrime study noted that nearly 43 percent of cyberattacks happen to small businesses, and on average, small businesses could spend up to $600,000 resolving a cybercrime incident.
“It is devastating to a small business when they have a breach in data or their network. For many, an event like this could be the end of their business,” Salinas said. “From tarnished reputations to lawsuits, it’s a hard recovery. Our cybersecurity clinic is here to help businesses take a proactive approach to their network and cyber safety to hopefully avoid something like this from happening.”
Talking about the new clinic, Salinas said: “This initiative is a win-win for all. We’re very excited. This is going to benefit our students, small businesses and region. It’s only a matter of time until a business experiences a cyberattack, so they must be aware and educated. This is going to save many businesses.”
Through the clinic, STC will become a member of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, joining the likes of other national and international colleges and universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Texas, the University of Texas El Paso and Northeastern State University, that are providing free cybersecurity clinics, sharing knowledge and breaking down technological barriers.
