Alva Review-Courier -

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' governor says a $500,000 grant is being provided to help pay for a new cybersecurity training initiative.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Wednesday the grant from the Department of Higher Education would go to the University of Central Arkansas to pay for a "cyber range," a dedicated computer system that can simulate a computer network. Students using the cyber range will learn how to identify cyberattacks and defend against them.

Hutchinson said UCA will have state of the art technology available through the Arkansas Educational Television Network.

AETN and UCA signed a memorandum of understanding creating a partnership to develop cybersecurity, coding, computer programming, computer science and other curricula in Arkansas schools.