The School of Information (I School) and the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) are pleased to announce that Elijah Baucom has been appointed as director of Citizen Clinic, the university’s public-interest cybersecurity clinic.
Through a model similar to clinics in law and medicine, Citizen Clinic trains teams of students from across the UC Berkeley campus to help public interest organizations build the capabilities they need to defend themselves against cyber adversaries, including ransomware attackers, malicious governments, hate groups, and extremists.
Baucom has taught the in-person Citizen Clinic class since January 2024. As Director, he will continue to teach the course, while working with other Clinic staff and instructors to grow and strengthen the program. He will also collaborate with leaders from other clinics through the Consortium for Cybersecurity Clinics, which UC Berkeley co-founded in May 2021.
“I am excited about transitioning into the role of Director of Citizen Clinic,” Baucom says. “I’m passionate about teaching and making cybersecurity knowledge and resources more accessible to everyone. My commitment is to make the Clinic as accessible as possible to every student on campus, regardless of area of study or existing tech knowledge. In addition, I am committed to working with and providing resources to social-sector organizations and individuals who are often targeted and more vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks.”
Baucom is a digital security and privacy activist with professional experience in management consulting, enterprise and solutions architecture, network engineering, systems administration, and education. He holds dual Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Telecommunication Systems Management from Murray State University. Following a career in the private sector, he founded Everyday Security, a company that provides cybersecurity and other IT architectural services and education to social justice organizations, non-profits, co-ops, activists, and individuals.
“I was tired of working in Corporate America and supporting corporations that didn’t align with my core values,” Baucom said in an interview earlier this spring. “I created Everyday Security to bridge gaps in cyber and digital security for everyday people — that is, those who are often disproportionately impacted by digital security challenges, including organizations focused on mental health for the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.”
Baucom’s new role is a natural continuation of his public interest work. Each semester, Citizen Clinic prepares teams of undergraduate and graduate students with a foundation in digital security before connecting them with mission-driven organizations that lack the resources and capacity to fully protect their digital networks. The students provide a range of services to their “clients,” such as conducting risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and helping them improve their cyber hygiene by adopting password managers, multi-factor authentication, and virtual private networks (VPNs).
“Threat actors are increasing in knowledge every day, so people are more susceptible to attack,” Baucom says. “We want to be able to prepare clients not only for now, but for the future as well. We try to help them understand the tools that they’re using, and put some policies and procedures in place to protect themselves.”
“We are delighted that Elijah will serve as the new Director of Citizen Clinic,” says Ann Cleaveland, Executive Director of CLTC and Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Consortium for Cybersecurity Clinics. “His wealth of experience working with community organizations, his accolades as a teacher, and his vision for the Clinic will ensure that Citizen Clinic continues to grow and deliver on its mission.”
Adapted from “Elijah Baucom Appointed as Director of Citizen Clinic” published on May 15, 2024, as
