OBU Cybersecurity Lab Turns Classroom into Battlegrounds for Ethical Hackers

May 28, 2025

A simulated cyberattack is unfolding: a team of hackers breaches a firewall, attempts to gain access to a network and tests whether any defenses stand in their way. But it’s not happening in a high-stakes government facility or a corporate data center; it’s in a classroom at OBU.

This is the kind of real-world scenario OBU students will engage with in the university’s upcoming cybersecurity lab, a hands-on facility made possible in part by a $25,000 grant from craigslist founder Craig Newmark and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. The lab is set to open in January 2026 as part of the renovated Thurmond Hall.

“We’re designing this as a cyber warfare range,” said Josh Shoffner, OBU’s vice president of technology and digital innovation and chief technology officer. “Students will work with actual servers, firewalls and routers. This is real equipment, not just virtual machines. They’ll learn to attack, defend and even repair compromised systems.”

While many university cybersecurity programs rely solely on cloud-based simulations, Shoffner said the new OBU lab sets itself apart by offering direct interaction with hardware creating space for immersive exercises like “black hat-white hat” training. Students will be split into offensive and defensive teams to battle over networks, detect threats and prevent breaches in real time.

That distinction, Shoffner noted, will equip OBU graduates with the kind of experience employers are actively seeking.

“This is not just a computer lab with a server rack in the next room,” Shoffner said. “We are building a place where students will be the ones pushing boundaries, exploring how systems work, break and get fixed. That kind of learning is what makes people hirable.”

The grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies as part of the organization’s ongoing support for trustworthy information and cybersecurity education arrived just three days after OBU submitted its application.

“The generous grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies demonstrates that organization’s commitment to improving cybersecurity in the United States and I am so grateful to Craig Newmark for his willingness to provide financial support to OBU as we look to equip the next generation of ‘cyber warriors’,” Shoffner said.

With the infrastructure work on Thurmond Hall on track for a December 2025 completion, OBU is now turning its focus to outfitting the lab. That includes LED lighting, tech-enabled furniture and a distinctive wall feature shaped like a circuit-board Bison, a nod to both innovation and tradition.

But beyond the physical space, Shoffner emphasized that the lab will support a broader vision. Conversations are already underway about hosting workshops for small businesses in the Shawnee community, helping local organizations understand how to secure their own systems.

“We want this lab to be a service, not just to our students but to the community,” he said.

The lab also aligns with OBU’s cybersecurity degree program, which offers a distinctive blend of applied computer science, liberal arts education and ethical training grounded in faith. Through its partnership with OBU’s engineering program, the degree also explores cutting-edge topics like cyber-physical systems and the digital control systems used in drones and avionics.

“We’re preparing students to think critically about not just how systems are secured, but why,” Shoffner said. “Our students will be doing ethical hacking, finding vulnerabilities so they can be fixed. That’s an honorable objective.”

And it’s an urgent one, too. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for information security analysts is expected to grow by 33 percent from 2023 to 2033.

OBU’s lab aims to meet that growing need with graduates who have already been battle-tested in the safest place to learn: a classroom designed to break, defend and rebuild.

“This approach is about anticipating what could go wrong before it does,” Shoffner said. “Here’s a lab. Have at it.”

Learn more about OBU’s computer science, cybersecurity emphasis program.