Everyday we live under the threat of a national security breach.

The "Cyber Defense Laboratory" at WKU, is aiming to keep that from happening thanks to a $6 million dollar appropriation from Senator Mitch McConnell.

Western's Cyber Defense Laboratory has spent the last year developing techniques for monitoring communication through computers across the country.

Now, thanks to a significant financial gift, the project will be able to expand further and better protect Americans.

"Typically what we're trying to do is determine if a network has been breached or someone has come in from the inside," says Laboratory Director Phil Womble.

The lab's test-bed is set up to brainstorm ways to monitor and prevent possible hackers in the Federal Government system.

One type of test is to have two networks of computers sending normal e-mail and requesting data from other computers.

But then a third network is employed.

"What they try to do is penetrate into that network and wreak havoc on those performing normal tasks," Womble explains.

Womble says cyber hacking is far too prevalent and is a threat to our nation's security, so it's imperative any unorthodox computer activity be closely monitored.

"There's a lot of information on these networks that people are interested in getting, with ulterior motives.

So there's a lot of interest in protecting it from outside entities," notes Womble.

The additional $6 million dollar funding will allow the laboratory to increase its staffing from 4 students and 5 faculty.

It will also give them an opportunity to expand the amount of work it can do.

So far, the project has proven very successful.

"We've been doing testing and performance on a number of the tools that are being used today," according to Womble.

Right now, the Cyber Defense Laboratory focuses on communication coming in and out of places like Capitol Hill and other Federal offices.

But eventually Womble hopes to work to make city and state information safer as well.

"They're closing the door and we're helping to close that door to these attacks," says Womble.

Womble says the lab is also a nucleus to commercial entities where companies can come in and develop software cyber defense lab for their own applications and commercial needs.