Cybersecurity

Mason Engineering BS in cyber security engineering earns ABET accreditation

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 14:45:18 +0000

Mason Engineering BS in cyber security engineering earns ABET accreditation Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/19/2021 - 09:45

Mason Engineering’s bachelor’s degree program in cyber security engineering has been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.  

ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.

“ABET accreditation is important to all engineering programs. The BS in cyber security engineering being the first ABET-accredited cyber security engineering program, and the first accredited with the new cyber security program criteria, is an important achievement for the new Volgenau Department of Cyber Security Engineering, but it is only the beginning,” says Peggy Brouse, professor and associate chair for the department. “The department is launching the new MS CYSE degree this spring semester. In addition, we are in a great position to extend research that we already have with the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. We are excited for the future.”

Students pursuing a BS in cybersecurity engineering learn from distinguished faculty in the classroom and gain hands-on experience through projects and a year-long senior design capstone where faculty, students, and even alumni come together to tackle real-world problems.

Alumnus turned senior design capstone advisor Matthew Wilkes, BS cyber security engineering ’18, says of the students he has mentored, “I want to ensure they’re encouraged to be successful in both their project and beyond. I won’t make it easy for them because if it was easy every student could do it.” Wilkes was among the first students to graduate from the program.

“Any student who graduates from Mason with a degree in cyber security engineering has very high expectations,” says Wilkes.

Students praise the program and the opportunities that Mason offers. “Mason’s cybersecurity program has helped me build a solid base of practice and theory to fuel extracurricular study,” says cyber security engineering student Zaine Wilson. “Professors Tom Winston, Jim Jones, Mohamed Gebril, and all the other professors in the department, you won't find a group of more caring, inspiring, and wise mentors anywhere else.”

ABET’s voluntary peer-review process is highly respected because it adds critical value to academic programs in the technical disciplines, where quality, precision, and safety are of the utmost importance.

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Mason to lead regional hub for national cybersecurity advanced manufacturing innovation partnership

Melanie Balog — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 10:05:05 +0000

Mason to lead regional hub for national cybersecurity advanced manufacturing innovation partnership Melanie Balog Fri, 11/20/2020 - 05:05

George Mason University is poised to be named a managing member in the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII), a $111 million public-private partnership led by the University of Texas at San Antonio. CyManII will have a five-year corporative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy to lead a consortium of 59 proposed member institutions in introducing a cybersecure energy-ROI that drives American manufacturers and supply chains.

“CyManII represents a great step forward for U.S. and Virginia’s leadership in cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing,” says Volgenau School of Engineering Dean Ken Ball. “Mason’s well-recognized strength in cybersecurity research and its offering one of the largest cybersecurity engineering academic programs in the nation position it incredibly well to support CyManII’s ambitious five-year goals.”

As part of its national strategy, CyManII will focus on four high priority areas where collaborative research and development can help U.S. manufacturers: securing automation, securing the supply chain network, improving energy efficiency, and building a national program for education and workforce development. CyManII’s research objectives will focus on understanding the evolving cybersecurity threats to manufacturing industries, developing new cybersecurity and energy-conserving technologies and methods, and sharing information and knowledge with the broader community of U.S. manufacturers.

Mason anticipates managing and operating CyManII’s East Coast headquarters on its Arlington Campus. The headquarters will house CyManII’s primary offices, meeting space, and training facilities in the National Capital Region.

It will contain lab space and equipment to demonstrate, test, and validate CyManII’s emerging cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing technologies and products. The 13,000-square-foot facility will support robotic platforms to evaluate security vulnerabilities, especially the impact of 5G on autonomous vehicles, the power grid, and smart manufacturing. The space will also host a robotic smart manufacturing testbed.

Mason researchers from the Volgenau School of Engineering will play key roles in CyManII’s first-year projects, including finding ways to protect manufacturing supply chains from cyber threats and designing better security into advanced manufacturing plants.

“CyManII is another step forward in Mason’s rapidly expanding leadership in the National Capital Region,” said Interim Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact Aurali Dade. “We expect to leverage our many partnerships with the area’s technology leaders to grow advanced manufacturing here.”

CyManII is funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) and co-managed with the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER).

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) NoVA Node announces call for proposals

4429684e-ae8d-405e-870a-3b7aefe68162 (Martha Bushong) — Mon, 06 Apr 2020 13:23:40 +0000

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) NoVA Node announces call for proposals 4429684e-ae8d-… Mon, 04/06/2020 - 09:23

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Professor Liza Wilson Durant is the NoVa Node's executive director. (photo by Creative Services)

The CCI NoVA Node announces a call for proposals for the Cyber Advanced Translational Research Development Grant (CATRDG) competition. The competition will enhance Virginia’s cyber innovation economy by providing funding to qualified teams. Participating teams must focus on the commercialization of a cybersecurity technology or process. Team proposals must be submitted by May 15.

The CATRDG program defines cybersecurity technology or process broadly and includes technologies and processes designed to protect the following, but not limited to—networks, devices, software, IoT, cyber-physical systems, unmanned vehicles or systems, cyber resilience, autonomous cyber defense, configuration security, vulnerability analysis, manufacturing processes, power grid, infrastructure, programs, and data from cyber mediated attack, damage, or unauthorized access.

“NoVA Node partners are committed to working together to accelerate the translation of academic cybersecurity innovations to the marketplace through the development, management, and marketing of intellectual property (IP); incubation support provided to small businesses; and the provision of entrepreneurship training to faculty and students,” says Liza Wilson Durant, executive director of the CCI NoVa Node. “The fund is an essential tool in the node’s innovation toolbox.”

The grants will help innovation teams pay for key materials and supplies, as well as the personnel and activities that are necessary to test products and gather initial market feedback critical to participating in accelerators or obtaining seed or angel funding.

The NoVa Node will select three or four competitive proposals for funding at levels up to $50,000 for 12 months. Teams must provide a one-to-one match for a budget of up to $100,000. These matching resources may include equipment, personnel time, indirect from university faculty related effort, or monies from other sources but may not be matched with Commonwealth resources.

To be eligible for support, proposing teams must include at least one investigator from one or more of the public institutions of higher education participating in the NoVA Node. Teams may be led by a principal investigator from a small business or a NoVA Node academic partner institution. The NoVa Node encourages teams to leverage student participation. Small businesses can either contact faculty members directly or seek assistance to connect with faculty by emailing ott@gmu.edu.

Mason ranked No. 1 nationally in Cybersecurity Talent Discovery

Melanie Balog — Mon, 08 Jul 2019 18:42:54 +0000

Mason ranked No. 1 nationally in Cybersecurity Talent Discovery Melanie Balog Mon, 07/08/2019 - 14:42

George Mason University has been recognized as a Cyber FastTrack National “Top Tier College” that is the best in the nation in Cybersecurity Talent Discovery.

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Mason recently topped a nationwide Cyber FastTrack field of 5,200 U.S. colleges for the honor, with a contest-best 312 students discovering their aptitude for cybersecurity careers through a competition sponsored by the SANS Technology Institute. Cyber FastTrack is a free online program for college students and graduates that was designed by world leaders in cybersecurity and backed by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and 24 other U.S. governors in the hopes of closing the nation’s cyber skills gap with China and Russia.

Southern Arkansas University’s Main Campus, Austin Peay State University, Michigan State University and Old Dominion University rounded out the top five finishers.

“It is an honor for our university to receive this notice,” said Peggy S. Brouse, a professor within Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering and the director of the nation’s first Bachelor of Science Cyber Security Engineering program. “We have worked very hard in VSE to have superior programs and research in cybersecurity.”

Mason’s Bachelor of Science Cyber Security Engineering program launched in spring 2015, with 28 students graduating three years later. The program has since expanded to nearly 400 students, Brouse said.

“The leadership shown by George Mason University is commendable,” said Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute. “Without the talent being discovered in Cyber FastTrack, shortages of elite talent will put the United States at a severe disadvantage in protecting power systems, financial systems and military systems in times of conflict and protecting businesses and personal privacy in peace time. George Mason University has set a high bar for other schools in Virginia and in the nation.”

Students from all disciplines are encouraged to enroll in the Cyber FastTrack program. Through the program’s online challenges, quizzes, exams and tutorials, students learn disciplines such as forensics, intrusion detection, security operations, system and network penetration testing and application penetration testing.

The highest performing students were awarded Cyber Honors Academy Scholarships for free training at the SANS Institute. Another 200 well-performing students each received $500 in scholarships toward college tuition.

Plans are already underway at Mason to add a Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering component to enhance the undergraduate program.

“Because of the importance of cybersecurity in our country,” Brouse said, “I don’t see any limit to the popularity and expansion of the program.”

Mason ranks 11th  nationally in cybersecurity education

John Hollis — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:18:17 +0000

Mason ranks 11th  nationally in cybersecurity education John Hollis Mon, 02/11/2019 - 15:18

George Mason University was ranked 11th nationally by Cyber Degrees in its recently released top-20 list of institutions with top cybersecurity programs.

Mason was also ranked fourth nationally for its online cybersecurity bachelor’s program, 10th for its online master’s in information technology program and 12th for its online information technology bachelor’s program.  

Daniel Garrison, director of Mason Engineering Online in the Volgenau School of Engineering, said Mason’s regional and national standing in cybersecurity education is one reason Amazon decided to choose Northern Virginia as the site for one of its newest headquarters.  

“That signals not only the strength of our region but, in [Amazon’s] decision to partner with George Mason, an affirmation of our leadership in all things computing, including the security of its cyber infrastructure,” Garrison said.  

According to the Cyber Degrees website, its rankings are based on Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems data on computer science and engineering program completions, the Ponemon Institute’s report on the best schools for cybersecurity and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency-designated National Centers of Academic Excellence-Cyber Defense report.

Cybersecurity’s next generation of experts prepares for the future at Virginia Cyber Competition

4429684e-ae8d-405e-870a-3b7aefe68162 (Martha Bushong) — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 16:06:37 +0000

Cybersecurity’s next generation of experts prepares for the future at Virginia Cyber Competition 4429684e-ae8d-… Thu, 03/02/2017 - 11:06

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Learn about our BS in Cyber Security Engineering

Cyber Security Engineering students participate in the inaugural Virginia Cyber Cup Challenge.

The inaugural Virginia collegiate cyber competition used the Virginia Cyber Range to host a “Jeopardy” style cybersecurity team competition.

“The best part of the conference was actually getting to solve unique technical challenges. The competition required us to use the technical skills we have, to solve challenges that were new to us,” said Doreen Joseph a student, majoring in Cyber Security Engineering at Mason.

Cyber ranges function like shooting ranges and help with training in weapons, operations, or tactics. A cyber range is a virtual environment used for cyber warfare training and cyber technology development.

Students majoring in Cyber Security Engineering take many classes and gain skills to solve new problems that they will encounter in this ever-changing field. Their coursework, combined with competitions like this, allows them to apply knowledge directly to new situations.
Nine colleges competed in the inaugural event. Each invited college brought one team of up to six students, plus another five selected student observers. Teams from Virginia Tech, JMU, and Radford were among the competitors, but this was the first time Mason students had done anything like this.

“I am so proud of our team,” said Peggy Brouse, director of Cyber Security Engineering. “Considering that this was our first competition and one of the laptops stopped working at the beginning of the four hours, I was very happy. The participant team (six students) placed fourth out of nine teams. The observer team (five students) took third place. “

“The most important thing I learned is to avoid overanalyzing challenges because sometimes, the answer is right in front of you hiding in plain sight,” said Joseph.

Joseph said she thought the team’s biggest challenge related to this exact situation. When they tried to decode a Morse code recording, she said she and her team thought they had to convert the sound recording to Morse code. Later, they discovered that the recording was Morse code, so they needed to convert it to text.

“We were especially frustrated because we had solved the challenge up to that last part, but we were stuck. We were overanalyzing it,” said Joseph.

“We learned a few things to do differently next time,” said Brouse. “But the most important thing is that everyone had fun.”

About the conference:
The event, hosted by Virginia Military Institute and sponsored by the Virginia Secretary of Technology and Senator Mark Warner, the Commonwealth Cyber Fusion emphasized integrating technology with policy and intelligence. In addition to the competition, there were speeches by cyber experts and a number of cyber employers who interviewed students for internships and cyber jobs.

Students who participated in the competition included: Matthew Burke, Yaqi He, Nadia Jehangir, Doreen Joseph, Benjamin Krause, Douglas MacDonald, Marco Perdomo, Natalie Parke, Thuc (Chuck) Tran, Matthew Wilkes, KangI Xu, Stephen Zamory.

The cyber coaches were Dr. Jim Jones from the Volgenau School of Engineering and Cody McMahon from Raytheon.

Cybersecurity

Mason Engineering BS in cyber security engineering earns ABET accreditation

Topics

Mason to lead regional hub for national cybersecurity advanced manufacturing innovation partnership

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) NoVA Node announces call for proposals

Read About Cybersecurity News

Mason ranked No. 1 nationally in Cybersecurity Talent Discovery

Mason ranks 11th nationally in cybersecurity education

Cybersecurity’s next generation of experts prepares for the future at Virginia Cyber Competition

Research Cybersecurity

Learn about our BS in Cyber Security Engineering

Mason ranks 11th  nationally in cybersecurity education