
Cybersecurity Education in the
Age of AI and Automation & Ambiguity
Seattle University
November 12th to 14th
29th Colloquium
November 12-14, 2025
Cybersecurity Education in the Age of AI and Automation & Ambiguity
The 2025 Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education (CISSE) celebrates its 29th anniversary as the premier Cybersecurity Education Conference. Join us to explore the latest trends in cyber education and engage with SME's from academia, government, and industry. We are delighted to welcome the Seattle University as our esteemed host and academic partner.
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Questions?
Please direct any questions regarding papers, registration, participation, and sponsorship to Andrew at abelon@thecolloquium.org.
Conference Registration
To foster meaningful dialogue, professional networking, and hands-on collaboration, this year's Colloquium emphasizes physical presence and active engagement. We believe that the most impactful exchange of ideas—particularly in an era defined by AI, automation, and ambiguity—happens face to face. Workshops, poster sessions, and panels are designed to maximize participation, allowing attendees to connect directly with speakers, researchers, and peers in the cybersecurity education community.
There will be no virtual or hybrid option for this year's event. We look forward to welcoming you to Seattle for three days of rich conversation, practical exploration, and community building.
November 12-14, 2025
Cybersecurity Education in the Age of AI and Automation & Ambiguity
In-person (Seattle, WA)
Registration for in-person attendance is managed through our portal. Please note that changes, including transfers or cancellations, are allowed until October 31, 2025.
Bulk Registration
For bulk registration inquiries, please contact Andrew at abelon@thecolloquium.org. Be sure to include a billing contact email, along with the names and email addresses of prospective attendees.
Cancellation
In-person: Withdrawals without penalty are allowed until October 31, 2025. After this date, a $50 administrative fee will apply to all cancellations.
Questions?
Please direct any questions regarding papers, registration, participation, and sponsorship to Andrew at abelon@thecolloquium.org.
Call for Papers & Proposals
Participating in The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education™ are representatives from education, industry, and government with an interest in conducting productive conversations, present new ideas, and improve the content and curricula for cybersecurity teaching. Interested parties are invited to submit papers and posters, propose round tables, and submit relevant proposals for consideration of The Colloquium™.
Conference Theme
Cybersecurity Education in the Age of AI and Automation & Ambiguity
Suggested Topics & Tracks
We encourage submissions across a broad range of interdisciplinary and emerging areas in cybersecurity education, including:
- Global Interculturality in Cybersecurity
- Preparing students to build a resilient cyber culture
- Artificial Intelligence, Cyberculture, Agentic AI, Ethics and Risks
- Navigating Cross-Border Data Protection and Security Regulations
- Cyber Conflict De-escalation
- Interdisciplinary Subjects
- Robotics, Automated systems, OT, SCADA, and IoT Cybersecurity
- Adversarial Behavior
- Human Factors and Psychological Operations
- Scalability of Cybersecurity
- Education Technologies
- Game-based Learning
- Non-traditional Students
- K12 Education
- Cyber Forensics
- Ethics and Philosophy of Cyberspace
- Building Resilience through Inclusion and Diversity
- Sociological Aspects of Cyber
- Cybersecurity for Non-Cyber Students
- Building Broader Resilience
- Developing International Technology Policy & Collaboration
- Cyber Criminology and Justice
- Integrating Current Developments
- Emerging Technologies
- Dark Markets
- Quantum Computing & Cryptography Governance
- Project-based & Challenge-based Learning
- AI-Driven Learning Dynamics & Resources
- Online and Remote Learning
- Autonomous Systems and Vehicles
- Cyber Analytics
- Threat Analytics
Submission Guidelines
- Original, unpublished work (parallel submissions are not accepted; pre-press / personal site postings are permitted)
- Manuscripts must use the IEEE Manuscript Template
- Word count: 3,000 - 4,000 words
- Abstract: ≤ 250 words
- Include adequate citations and DOI URLs for references where available
- All images, graphs, and tables must be original and high-resolution (300 dpi minimum)
- Papers must be anonymized for double-blind review or will be rejected
- Final accepted drafts must include ORCID numbers for ALL authors
Presentation & Registration Requirements
- At least one author must register for and attend The Colloquium™ in person to present
- Only papers presented in person will be considered for publication in the Journal
Use of Generative AI
Authors must disclose any use of generative AI or automated tools in the creation of content. These tools may not be listed as authors.
Copyright
Copyright remains with the authors, but publication in the Journal grants CISSE™ the right to freely distribute the work in print and digital formats.
Publication
Research papers will be published in the Journal of The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education. Accepted papers will be indexed with DOIs and published openly in CISSE's Open Journal.
Student Submissions
Student authors must disclose student status at submission. The student must be the primary contributor and currently enrolled in a degree-granting program. One student paper will be recognized with the Erich Spengler Student Paper of the Year award and receive complimentary registration to the following year's Colloquium.
Contact
- All questions about submissions should be emailed to paperchair@thecolloquium.org
- Any questions about the 29th Colloquium, please email events@thecolloquium.org
Poster sessions are non-commercial presentations of topics of interest to the community. The goal of the poster session is to stimulate conversations in the community. Posters present an opportunity to contribute to the conversation without the full process of formal review and the topic and time constraints of formal papers and conference sessions. Poster presenters are encouraged to provide previews of works in progress, new concepts for consideration, and classroom techniques.
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Submit: poster@thecolloquium.org
Subject: 29th Colloquium - Poster
Note: Please indicate if the poster is a Faculty, Researcher or Student submission.
Participants may present proposals for sessions and presentations covering areas in the context of the conference theme, or other appropriate material. The proposals will be considered based on their relevance and appeal. Proposals should be 1-2 paragraphs in length. Include the desired time period (15 – 50 minutes).
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Submit: presentation@thecolloquium.org
Subject: 29th Colloquium - Presentation
Panels offer the audience an opportunity to hear diverse perspectives on a specific topic or area of interest, often focused on a special theme. Ideal panels include 4 to 6 participants to ensure a balanced and engaging discussion. Proposals should be 1–2 paragraphs in length and must include a list of prospective panelists.
Workshops provide a means for participants to work together to achieve some outcome related to the conference theme. It may be in the form of the creation of a new project, or in support of some existing project. Roundtables provide a forum for members to participate in a guided discussion of a topic. Participants wishing to propose a workshop or round table in the context of the conference themes (see above) may submit a proposal.
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Submit: roundtable@thecolloquium.org
Subject: 29th Colloquium - Roundtable
This year's conference will feature Master Class presentations and Curriculum Walk-throughs.
- Master Classes: are a panel of instructors who have experience teaching a course in a particular topic where they have brought an innovative approach to their teaching. The panel will discuss and compare approaches including evaluations and observations.
- Course Walk-through: a quick (20 min) walk through of the course Syllabus, including the description, outcomes, major topics, assessments / assignments, materials used, typical course approach, and intended student audience. The goal is to give new instructors ideas about how courses may be constructed and allow experienced instructors to compare them to their own efforts.
- Program Walk-through: a quick (30 min) review of a program's curriculum and flow, it includes an overview of the outcomes, the students, the courses, and special features. It includes a brief discussion of the reasoning behind the program choices.
Instructors interested in participating in Master Class Panels or Curriculum walk-throughs should submit their interest including: The course type (basic, elective, focus area), course level (lower / upper division, Graduate), course title, and Course Syllabus which can be shared (may have redactions).
For Programs, the level (AB/AS, BA/BS, Minor, Certificate, Graduate), the program focus, and a Course List or similar document to be shared.
Walk-throughs are not pitches for commercial courses, books, or courses mainly following a standardized curriculum.
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Submit: masterclass@thecolloquium.org
Subject: 29th Colloquium - Master Class
Deadline: August 31, 2025
Submit: walkthrough@thecolloquium.org
Subject: 29th Colloquium - Walkthrough
Questions?
Please direct any questions regarding papers, registration, participation, and sponsorship to Andrew at abelon@thecolloquium.org.
Sponsorship Opportunities
The Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education™ offers a distinctive platform for showcasing your organization with precision, targeting not just cybersecurity enthusiasts, but the educators in cybersecurity. For 29 years, the esteemed members of CISSE™, including those deeply invested in educational methodologies, have convened to unravel the complexities of teaching emerging subjects. Place your tools and resources in the hands of these distinguished individuals and demonstrate how you can bolster their mission.
Benefits
Our sponsorship program offers meaningful engagement with a highly specialized community of cybersecurity faculty, researchers, program directors, and public-sector stakeholders. With in-person visibility at Seattle University, sponsors benefit from maximum engagement—through live demonstrations, networking sessions, and direct dialogue with decision-makers. Your support reinforces a shared mission: cultivating a resilient, skilled, and forward-thinking cybersecurity workforce.
- Prominent brand visibility at the event and in published proceedings
- Opportunities to present or moderate panels and roundtables
- Direct engagement with attendees through exhibit spaces and networking functions
- Recognition in pre-conference materials, the CISSE™ Journal, and digital platforms
- Custom packages available to align with your organization’s outreach goals
Opportunities
The following sponsorship opportunties are available. To explore tailored partnership options, please contact us at events@thecolloquium.org. We look forward to welcoming you to Seattle this November as a valued supporter of cybersecurity education.
10k |
Platinum
|
5k |
Gold
|
3k |
Bronze
|
2k |
Supporter
|
1.5k |
Conference Access
|
1k |
Conference Access - LimitedAvailable to Government agencies, 501c (3) nonprofits or Academic institutions only
|
$750 |
Exhibition Only
|
$500 |
Exhibition Only - LimitedAvailable to Government agencies, 501c (3) nonprofits or Academic institutions only
|
Sponsorship Form (online)
For custom or co-sponsored arrangements, please contact Andrew Belon.
Bridging the Cybersecurity Skills Gap: Aligning Educational Programs with Industry Needs
- Joshua Ball, Maura Lyons, Kendra Evans
- Session 1 - November 13th @ 10:15 AM
This paper examines the widening cybersecurity skills gap and its implications for organizations, highlighting the inadequacies in current educational and training programs. Through a comprehensive survey of 200 senior executives responsible for cybersecurity strategy, we identify the most valued technical and non-technical skills, the perceived deficiencies in new hires, and the role of practical experience and industry-academia collaboration.
Building on existing research, this paper highlights the relative importance of skills, the value of practical experience, and the benefits of industry-academia collaboration. The results reinforce existing literature while offering new perspectives essential for addressing the cybersecurity workforce challenges.
We found that organizations that collaborate with educational institutions report higher satisfaction with new hires but also experience significant gaps in practical experience and industry-specific best practice knowledge among new hires. Cluster analysis revealed distinct patterns in organizational priorities, challenges, and characteristics, suggesting that tailored educational approaches may be necessary.
Keywords: cybersecurity, industry-academia collaboration, skills gap, workforce development, hands-on learning
Project-Based Learning in K12 Cybersecurity Education
- Sandra Nite, Wesley Brashear, Trenton Gray, Dhruva Chakravorty
- Session 1 - November 13th @ 10:35 AM
Teaching adolescents can be challenging, and cybersecurity education is no different. Teachers need to find ways to engage students in the learning by providing some incentive, such as encouraging a sense of curiosity about something in the world around them. In this paper, we discuss one model of teaching, the 5E Model, that has been effective in helping teachers engage students so they have a desire to learn the material. We will also discuss the Project-Based Learning method of teaching in which students learn the necessary information for the project as they work on the project. Students' incentive to learn is based on the need for the learning in order to solve the problem and complete the project. We combined these two ideas and integrated them into some of the activities in the summer camp as well as the project for the week. We will describe two camp activities and how the 5E Model was used to plan the activities. Then we will describe the final project and how the 5E Model was used as the students developed their projects throughout the week, learning more and more about the cybersecurity concepts around which the camp was focused. We hope to give others who work with adolescents in informal learning some ideas to help keep students engrossed in the learning opportunities provided to them.
Keywords: cybersecurity, K12, project-based learning
Mentoring Cybersecurity Students in Online Degree Programs
- Herbert Mattord, Michael Whitman
- Session 1 - November 13th @ 10:55 AM
This paper examines the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of a successful mentoring program integrated into cybersecurity capstone courses at a Southern University, aimed at bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world experience. Faced with a need to implement experiential outcomes for cybersecurity graduates, the university introduced a structured mentoring initiative involving industry executives and technical leads to enhance students' professional development, networking opportunities, and practical skills. The program's remarkable success, attributed to several key factors: the careful selection of mentors, comprehensive mentor training, and the assignment of multiple mentors to minimize disruption caused by potential withdrawals, has significantly enhanced student outcomes. A continuous improvement process, anchored by after-action reviews at the end of each semester, allows the program to evolve in response to participant feedback, ensuring alignment with educational goals and addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenges in the field. The paper concludes that this mentoring initiative enhances student outcomes and underscores the importance of integrating experiential learning opportunities within academic curricula. Recommendations for institutions adopting similar programs include prioritizing mentor selection and training, implementing continuous feedback loops, and emphasizing mentor commitment to maximize student benefits.
Keywords: Cybersecurity education, mentoring programs, experiential learning, professional development, diversity in computing, academic curriculum, student outcomes
Cybersecurity High School Innovations: A Path for Educators to Teach Cybersecurity Courses in their Schools
- Marc Dupuis, Robert Honomichl, Morgan Zantua, Jenny Ju
- Session 1 - November 13th @ 11:15 AM
There remains a significant unmet demand for cybersecurity professionals nationwide. Many solutions have been forwarded, but more are needed. Improving opportunities within higher education institutions is important and a critical component of addressing this unmet need, but may do too little too late for many potential cybersecurity professionals. This paper examines the development of an innovative program designed to address this challenge by providing opportunities to secondary educators of all backgrounds. Participants are given an opportunity to learn about cybersecurity and how to bring what they learn back to their own schools and teach it to their students as a standalone course. The program provided a remote component in preparation for an intensive in-person summer summit where participants were brought together at one or more locations. During that time, they would hear from experts in academia, industry, and the military, as well as have an opportunity to practice what they learned through various hands-on labs and activities. Participants from the first year were invited back the second year for a more challenging and advanced experience. During the third year, first and second year participants were invited back such that there were three levels of participants. This paper reports on the findings of this innovative program and provides recommendations for future iterations of similar programs based on lessons learned.
Keywords: cybersecurity, secondary education, curriculum, courses
Empowering Youth in the Digital Age: A Curriculum Proposal Informed by Welsh High School Teachers' Perspectives on Cybersecurity Education
- Maha Alotaibi, Yulia Cherdantseva, Omar Rana, Catherine Teehan
- Session 1 - November 13th @ 11:35 AM
- Virtual
As cyber threats increasingly target vulnerable youth, the need for comprehensive cybersecurity education has become more critical. Integrating cybersecurity into secondary school curricula offers a promising solution, equipping students with the necessary skills to identify and mitigate cyber risks. Despite the increasing number of cyber risks targeting young people, cybersecurity education in secondary schools is still in its early stages. This study investigates the perspectives of 27 Welsh secondary school teachers on incorporating cybersecurity education into their curricula through semi-structured interviews. The qualitative insights gathered reveal key challenges and opportunities, including a lack of resources, age-appropriate materials, and pedagogical support for teaching cybersecurity. Our findings underscore the need for targeted educational reforms and collaboration between schools and cybersecurity professionals. Based on these results, we provide practical recommendations for educators, school administrators, and cybersecurity practitioners to enhance youth cybersecurity education.
Keywords: cybersecurity education, secondary school teachers, cybersecurity curriculum, cybersecurity skills, curriculum development
Teaching Generative AI for Cybersecurity: A Project-Based Learning Approach
- Nate Mathews, Christopher Schwartz, Matthew Wright
- Session 2 - November 13th @ 1:15 PM
In the Spring 2024 semester, we introduced an elective course titled “Generative AI and Cybersecurity” for MS and upper-division BS students specializing in cybersecurity at our university. The course was designed to equip students with a foundational understanding of Generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs) like GPT-4, and explore their applications within the field of cybersecurity. Through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on projects, and industry guest lectures, students engaged with the technical, ethical, and legal dimensions of AI in cybersecurity. The course emphasized practical learning, with students gaining experience in AI tools such as ChatGPT, as well as developing skills in prompt engineering and API usage. While some students were eager for even more technical AI content, they appreciated the hands-on learning, insights from industry guest speakers, and the chance to see how the more powerful models like GPT-4 could be usefully applied to cybersecurity problems.
Keywords: Generative AI, Cybersecurity, Large language models, AI in education
Empowering the Next Generation: A Strategic Roadmap for AI in Cybersecurity Education
- Vahid Heydari, Kofi Nyarko
- Session 2 - November 13th @ 1:35 PM
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into cybersecurity is revolutionizing the approach to addressing increasingly complex cyber threats. As the demand for expertise in both AI and cybersecurity grows, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have a unique opportunity to develop programs that equip students to meet these evolving challenges. This paper presents a strategic roadmap for the development of AI in Cybersecurity programs at HBCUs, highlighting interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on learning, adversarial defense, explainability, ethical leadership, and diversity. Drawing on a comprehensive review of existing literature, this roadmap provides a flexible framework that can adapt to rapid technological advancements and the dynamic needs of the industry. By implementing this roadmap, HBCUs can create programs that not only provide students with the necessary technical skills but also cultivate the leadership, ethical understanding, and adversarial defense strategies required to shape the future landscape of cybersecurity.
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, Machine Learning (ML), Adversarial Attacks, Model Explainability, Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Interdisciplinary Education
AI-Cybersecurity Education Through Designing AI-based Cyberharassment Detection Lab
- Ebuka Okpala, Nishant Vishwamitra, Keyan Guo, Song Liao, Long Cheng, Hongxin Hu, Xiaohong Yuan, Jeannette Wade, Sajad Khorsandroo
- Session 2 - November 13th @ 2:15 PM
- Virtual
Cyberharassment is a critical, socially relevant cybersecurity problem because of the adverse effects it can have on targeted groups or individuals. While progress has been made in understanding cyberharassment, its detection, attacks on artificial intelligence (AI) based cyberharassment systems, and the social problems in cyberharassment detectors, little has been done in designing experiential learning educational materials that engage students in this emerging social cybersecurity in the era of AI. Experiential learning opportunities are usually provided through capstone projects and engineering design courses in STEM programs such as computer science. While capstone projects are an excellent example of experiential learning, given the interdisciplinary nature of this emerging social cybersecurity problem, it can be challenging to use them to engage non-computing students without prior knowledge of AI. Because of this, we were motivated to develop a hands-on lab platform that provided experiential learning experiences to non-computing students with little or no background knowledge in AI and discussed the lessons learned in developing this lab. In this lab used by social science students in institution A across two semesters (spring and fall) in 2022, students are given a detailed lab manual and are to complete a set of well-detailed tasks. Through this process, students learn AI concepts and the application of AI for cyberharassment detection. Using pre-and post-surveys, we asked students to rate their knowledge or skills in AI and their understanding of the concepts learned. The results revealed that the students moderately understood the concepts of AI and cyberharassment.
Keywords: Experiential Learning, Cybersecurity, Cyberharassment, Machine Learning, Hands-on Labs.
Using AI Assistants in the Creation of an Academic Program of Study (PoS) in CyberAI
- Paige Zaleppa, Siddharth Kaza, Blair Taylor
- Session 2 - November 13th @ 2:35 PM
- Virtual
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly vital role in cybersecurity. As AI becomes more prevalent, cybersecurity professionals need AI skills, and academic institutions need to provide students with the opportunities to gain them. To meet this demand, the NSA National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program, in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF), launched an initiative to outline the AI content cybersecurity academic programs need to teach their students. The initiative aims to build knowledge units (KUs) and recommend a Program of Study (PoS) in Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (Cyber AI). This paper outlines the development of an AI assistant that was used to collaborate on the KU creation process for the CyberAI PoS. We will discuss the methodology behind the integration of the AI assistant, evaluate its contributions, and explore future directions for using AI assistants to develop curricular guidelines for academic programs.
Keywords: CyberAI, AI Assistants, Curricular Guidelines, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence
Efficient Machine Learning for Malware Detection
- Thomas Koch, Tamirat Abegaz, Hyungbae Park
- Session 3 - November 14th @ 10:15 AM
As the landscape of cyber threats continues to expand, malware detection has become increasingly crucial for maintaining robust cybersecurity. While standard malware detection techniques such as signature-based methods are very effective and widespread, they face certain challenges with zeroday and novel malware. The emergence of artificial intelligence in recent years has led to the development of alternative approaches to this issue, specifically through machine learning techniques. This research aims to analyze the effectiveness and viability of one such machine learning approach; the use of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model for the classification of benign and malicious Windows executable binaries. To accomplish this, we gathered a substantial dataset of both benign and malicious Windows binaries and converted them into grayscale images to train several CNN models with slightly varying architecture for the classification task. Following the training of the models, they were evaluated on an unseen test dataset to compare label predictions against each other, as well as Windows Defender. This approach aims to achieve a definitive metric for determining the effectiveness of this type of malware detection for Windows-based antivirus applications. What we found is that certain CNN models are not only able to perform on par with Windows Defender, but in some cases even outperform them. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that utilizing CNN models with grayscale image conversion of Windows binaries is an effective and efficient approach to malware detection.
Keywords: Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Malware Detection, Convolutional Neural Network, ML, AI, CNN
Teaching Secure Supply Chain Risk: Experiment in an 'Introduction to Cybersecurity' Course
- Terry Downing-Harris, Siddharth Kaza, Blair Taylor, Yeong-Tae Song
- Session 3 - November 14th @ 10:35 AM
The software supply chain and the security of software applications purchased through the Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) is becoming the focus of government and industry. Higher educational institutions can help by teaching secure supply chain risk management (SCRM), which can help secure COTS software applications. This work presents the results of an experiment that integrated secure SCRM into the software engineering curriculum at Towson University (a diverse, comprehensive institution with a large computer science program). This integration focuses primarily on using the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards to secure COTS software applications effectively. With a focus on undergraduate education, learning modules used in this integration are designed to be injected into almost any course in software engineering curriculum. The overall goal is to provide a model that can be replicated by all universities for integrating secure SCRM into the software engineering curriculum.
Keywords: supply chain risk management (SCRM), software supply chain, Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), secure software engineering, software engineering education, cybersecurity
Persuasion and Phishing: Analysing the Interplay of Persuasion Tactics in Cyber Threats
- Kalam Khadka
- Session 3 - November 14th @ 11:15 AM
- Virtual
This study extends the research of Ferreira and Teles (2019), who synthesized works by Cialdini (2007), Gragg (2003), and Stajano and Wilson (2011) to propose a unique list of persuasion principles in social engineering. While Ferreira and Teles focused on email subject lines, this research analyzed entire email contents to identify principles of human persuasion in phishing emails. This study also examined the goals and targets of phishing emails, providing a novel contribution to the field. Applying these findings to the ontological model by Mouton et al. (2014) reveals that when social engineers use email for phishing, individuals are the primary targets. The goals are typically unauthorized access, followed by financial gain and service disruption, with Distraction as the most commonly used compliance principle. This research highlights the importance of understanding human persuasion in technology-mediated interactions to develop methods for detecting and preventing phishing emails before they reach users. Despite previous identification of luring elements in phishing emails, empirical findings have been inconsistent. For example, Akbar (2014) found 'authority' and 'scarcity' most common, while Ferreira et al. (2015) identified 'liking' and 'similarity.' In this study, 'Distraction' was most frequently used, followed by 'Deception,' 'Integrity,' and 'Authority.' This paper offers additional insights into phishing email tactics and suggests future solutions should leverage socio-technical principles. Future work will apply this methodology to other social engineering techniques beyond phishing emails, using the ontological model to further inform the research community.
Keywords: Phishing, Social Engineering, Persuasion, Ontological Model
Reframing Cyber Security for the Next Generation of Digital Activists
- Elizabeth A. Quaglia, Joseph Reddington
- Session 3 - November 14th @ 11:35 AM
- Virtual
This paper presents a novel short course on cyber security designed for secondary school students in the UK. Our approach uniquely frames cyber security within the context of social activism and change-making, aiming to broaden participation and break down entry barriers in the field. The course contextualizes standard cyber security concepts such as information management, privacy, threat modeling, and cryptography within scenarios relevant to young activists.
We developed comprehensive lesson plans, interactive activities, and tools like “Change Cards” to facilitate engagement. The course was tested in two educational settings, leading to insights about content delivery and student engagement. Key outcomes include a teacher's guide and professionally designed resources that have been downloaded by over 1,000 teachers worldwide.
Feedback from students and teachers has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the course's relevance to daily life and its effectiveness in improving understanding of security concepts. This project contributes to the field by offering an innovative approach to cyber security education that resonates with young people's desire for social change, potentially fostering a new generation of diverse cyber security advocates and professionals.
Keywords: Cyber Security, Diversity, Social Activism
What Does An OT Security Professional Need To Know?
- Sean McBride, Glenn Merrell
- Session 4 - November 14th @ 10:15 AM
Industrial Cybersecurity is an emerging interdisciplinary field of study and practice. This paper presents the results of research and collaboration to create a data-supported and consensus-based curricular guidance document describing the knowledge needed of professionals in the field.
Keywords: control system security, curriculum development, cybersecurity education
Virtual Gamification in a PBS-based SETA Program
- Krista Stacey, Jeff Landry
- Session 4 - November 14th @ 10:35 AM
The severity of the insider threat has been emphasized in Information security literature. Self-efficacy and Protection motivation are factors that can increase an insider's compliance. Self-efficacy can be addressed by implementing a Security education training and awareness (SETA) program, but the programs do not usually address increasing Protection motivation. This paper approaches SETA programs from an educational perspective by implementing Positive behavior support (PBS) pedagogy in order to increase one's sense of belonging and Protection motivation. As a PBS- friendly methodology, gamification, is considered as a basis for implementing training scenarios that increases Self-efficacy and Protection motivation. In addition, immersion provided by virtualization of the scenarios further increases both Protection motivation and Self-efficacy. Defense of this pedagogy and methodology is presented as a nomological model to be tested in future studies.
Keywords: SETA, PM, SE, Gamification, Positive behavior support (PBS), XR, AR, VR, Information security (InfoSec).
Positioning Cybersecurity as a Pillar of Safety in Occupational Therapy
- Heather Bednarz, Jane Blanken-Webb
- Session 4 - November 14th @ 10:55 AM
- Hybrid
The rapid digitalization of society has transformed occupational therapy practice, introducing both opportunities and challenges. As occupational therapists increasingly rely on electronic documentation, telehealth, and assistive technologies, cybersecurity is emerging as a critical concern. This position paper argues that occupational therapy is a vital domain for the integration of cybersecurity education, emphasizing the need to safeguard sensitive patient information, enhance digital literacy, and address the unique vulnerabilities faced by occupational therapy clients. The paper outlines the key intersections of occupational therapy and cybersecurity education, highlighting the impact of cyber threats on healthcare, the importance of digital literacy, and the role of occupational therapy in educating and protecting vulnerable populations. Recommendations are provided for integrating cybersecurity education into occupational therapy curricula to better prepare practitioners for the evolving digital landscape. By integrating cyber safety principles into occupational therapy education, the field can fulfill its mission of enhancing individuals' participation in meaningful activities by equipping practitioners with the skills necessary to protect patient data, manage digital risks, and ensure safe, effective care in a technology-driven world.
Keywords: occupational therapy, cyber safety, digital citizenship, cybersecurity education, healthcare
Educating the Next Generation of Ethical AI Practitioners
- Noah Kenney, Annie Antón
- Session 4 - November 14th @ 11:35 AM
- Virtual
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly advancing, increasing concerns about data privacy harms in AI models. To this end, we examine how ethical AI can be incorporated into computer science curricula. This paper describes the design process for the first ‘AI Privacy Engineering' course, to the best of our knowledge, taught in the United States. The course is designed for both undergraduate and graduate students at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Throughout this course, students examine ethical implications of AI system design, development, deployment, and utilization. Recognizing that data privacy represents only one possible form of harm, the course blends theoretical and conceptual lectures with hands-on projects that require students to address ethical issues, including bias, fairness, and accountability in AI systems. Herein, we discuss the course design process, including selecting the appropriate body of knowledge, establishing learning objectives, creating assignments, and considering pedagogical methodologies we employed. We explain the empirical methods used to inform our design, including a systematic review of courses teaching AI development at over 40 universities. Additionally, we introduce a structured curriculum that can be used to effectively teach ethical and safe AI, and we propose how these topics may be incorporated more broadly into computer science courses. Finally, we discuss the early successes of the course, and the challenges faced while teaching it, particularly in maintaining relevance despite fast-paced changes in the field of AI, an evolving legislative landscape, accessing computational systems to run AI models, and varying levels of student preparedness.
Keywords: AI, Large Language Models, Privacy, Ethics
Multidisciplinary Quantum Cybersecurity Research for the Undergraduate Laboratory
- Brian Callahan, Keenan Schilp, Quinn Colognato, Emily Goldman, Shoshana Sugerman, Aanya Mehta, Angela Imanuel, Kaitlin Kaii, Hannah Rose
- Session 5 - November 14th @ 1:15 PM
Quantum computing has a critical need to be integrated into the undergraduate classroom to meet the needs of cybersecurity education in the 21st Century and to prepare a robust quantum workforce. A cybersecurity laboratory that specializes in undergraduate research explored a pair of quantum security projects in order to develop the foundations of a rich pedagogy to realize these needs: one on cracking pseudo-RSA, and one on understanding the limitations of quantum machine learning in aiding LLM development and refinement. This paper explores why this integration is necessary, explicates the research projects undertaken by these undergraduate researchers, and discusses their contributions to applied quantum security. Our contribution is to provide a template for how to quickly and effectively establish a multidisciplinary quantum security pedagogy for undergraduate students, provide example projects that can be adapted to student interests and abilities, and demonstrate how to enroll students from a wide variety of disciplines, increasing diversity and resiliency in quantum cybersecurity and cybersecurity broadly.
Keywords: quantum computing, cybersecurity, pedagogy, research, quantum security, diversity, resiliency
Cybersecurity Threats and Mitigation Strategies in AI Applications
- M. Sajjad Bhuiyan, Joon S. Park
- Session 5 - November 14th @ 1:35 PM
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into daily life and critical infrastructure has elevated the importance of addressing cybersecurity concerns within AI applications. While AI systems offer numerous benefits, such as enhanced efficiency, automation, and decision-making, they also introduce novel vulnerabilities and threats. Ensuring the security and reliability of these systems is crucial. This paper investigates key cybersecurity challenges associated with AI, including data privacy, integrity, adversarial attacks, and the ethical implications of AI in security. Additionally, it examines the role of Shapley Additive explainable AI in promoting transparency, allowing for greater interpretability of AI models and insights into decision making processes.
Keywords: AI security, cybersecurity, cyber threats, generative AI, explainable AI, data privacy
An Improved Phase Coding Audio Steganography Algorithm
- Guang Yang
- Session 5 - November 14th @ 1:55 PM
As AI technology continues to advance, voice cloning is becoming increasingly easy. Recently, cases of fraud involving audio forgery using AI technology have emerged, making it particularly important to covertly embed information and verify the authenticity and integrity of audio. Digital Audio Watermarking has thus become a crucial tool in this context. This study proposes an improved Phase Coding audio steganography algorithm that dynamically segments the audio signal and embeds information into the phase components of the mid-frequency range. This approach not only enhances the algorithm's resistance to steganalysis but also simplifies the computational process, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of audio both efficiently and securely.
Keywords: Audio steganography, Phase coding, Antisteganalysis, Fast Fourier Transform, Data integrity, Bit Error Rate, Digital Audio Watermarking
A Cyber Bridge Experiment
- Mary Ann Hoppa
- Session 5 - November 14th @ 2:15 PM
- Virtual
This paper describes the design, implementation and first delivery of a no-cost, no-credit, multi-week virtual bootcamp called Cyber Bridge. The motivation underlying Cyber Bridge is to cast a wider recruitment net by easing the transition of students – especially those from non-technical academic preparations – into cybersecurity studies, particularly at the graduate level. It provides background insights regarding the inception and evolution of the Cyber Bridge project, experimental methodologies and observations, and findings based on analysis of collected metrics and feedback. Results support the view that a Cyber Bridge is a reasonable approach to: increasing students' comfort level regarding virtual learning environments; introducing and reviewing some cybersecurity foundations; connecting students to additional resources to improve upcoming academic experiences; and moderating their confidence by recognizing knowledge gap areas they may need to review or remediate. Future direction ideas and recommendations are shared that align with a longer-term vision to mobilize this capability to empower more underrepresented, underserved individuals to succeed as cybersecurity professionals and researchers.
Keywords: cybersecurity, upskilling, student outcomes, student retention
Practical Teaching of Digital Forensic Analysis Using Group Dynamics Techniques: Think like a hacker and think like a investigator
- Ivo Rosa
- Session 5 - November 14th @ 2:35 PM
- Virtual
Cybersecurity is one of the most dynamic and challenging fields today, with digital threats constantly evolving. Digital forensic analysis is a sub-area of forensic science applied to the specific case of digital media and components, with the aim of reporting, explaining and justifying a series of events that take place in a digital context. As a sub-family of the forensic sciences, digital forensic analysis has a set of very specific methods, techniques and procedures to ensure that they are not questionable or that the evidence is invalidated. To prepare future information security professionals, it is essential to provide hands-on education that goes beyond theory and offers practical opportunities for applying knowledge. This article reports on an innovative technical-practical experience in teaching digital forensics applied to cybersecurity. The methodology involves the creation of challenging attack scenarios, forensic image analysis, and the promotion of collaboration among students. This article reports on the methodology and results of the technique developed for teaching the subject of digital forensic analysis used in the university course held at ISTEC - Instituto Superior de Tecnologias Avançadas in Portugal (Lisbon). By adopting this approach, students gain valuable practical skills and prepare themselves to face real-world cyber threats.
Keywords: Digital Forensic Analysis, Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Education, Framework for Teaching Digital Forensic Analysis, Digital Investigation, Teaching Strategies in Cybersecurity, NIS800-86, ISO/IEC 27037:2012
Enhancing AI-Centered Social Cybersecurity Education through Learning Platform Design
- Nishant Vishwamitra, Ebuka Okpala, Song Liao, Keyan Guo, Sandeep Shah, Hongxin Hu, Xiaohong Yuan, Long Cheng
- Session 6 - November 14th @ 1:35 PM
- Virtual
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have become increasingly pervasive in our daily lives. Recent breakthroughs such as large language models (LLMs) are being increasingly used globally to enhance their work methods and boost productivity. However, the advent of these technologies has also brought forth new challenges in the critical area of social cybersecurity. While AI has broadened new frontiers in addressing social issues, such as cyberharassment and cyberbullying, it has also worsened existing social issues such as the generation of hateful content, bias, and demographic prejudices. Although the interplay between AI and social cybersecurity has gained much attention from the research community, very few educational materials have been designed to engage students by integrating AI and socially relevant cybersecurity through an interdisciplinary approach. In this paper, we present our newly designed open-learning platform, which can be used to meet the ever-increasing demand for advanced training in the intersection of AI and social cybersecurity. The designed platform, which consists of hands-on labs and education materials, incorporates the latest research results in AI-based social cybersecurity, such as cyberharassment detection, AI bias and prejudice, and adversarial attacks on AIpowered systems, are implemented using Jupyter Notebook, an open-source interactive computing platform for effective hands-on learning. Through a user study of 201 students from two universities, we demonstrate that students have a better understanding of AI-based social cybersecurity issues and mitigation after doing the labs, and they are enthusiastic about learning to use AI algorithms in addressing social cybersecurity challenges for social good.
Building a Cybersecurity and AI Integrated Learning Pathway for Criminal Justice Professionals
With support from the National Science Foundation, we have developed scenario-based security curriculum and online showcase labs with interactive simulations and case studies across three progressive courses, revolutionizing cybersecurity education for Criminal Justice (CJ) professionals. By incorporating artificial intelligence into the curriculum, this project enhances CJ professionals' capabilities. Our goal is to develop a skilled workforce of CJ professionals with cybersecurity and privacy knowledge, addressing the critical need for such cybersecurity expertise in CJ. Literature review, focus group survey results, course framework tailored for CJ professionals, example course modules, and implementation results are presented.
Keywords: Cybersecurity, Criminal Justice, Artificial Intelligence
A Zero Trust Module for Cybersecurity Education
- Xinli Wang, Vijay Bhuse, Yuan Cheng
- Session 6 - November 15th @ 9:15 AM
Zero Trust (ZT) is a conceptual and architectural framework for cybersecurity teams to design networks into secure micro-perimeters and strengthen data security with dynamic and context-aware policies by systematically integrating state-of-the-art technology, risk management, and threat intelligence. Both theoretical analysis and industrial practice have shown that ZT can ensure that organizations are not victims of known attacks or fail to discover a breach for a long time. ZT has recently gained momentum in industry to defend against lateral movement of malicious actors in today's borderless networks. The United States 2021 President Executive Order requires the federal government must adopt security best practice and advance toward a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). However, it is not a trivial task to implement a ZTA due to its novelty and complexity. We need to understand what ZT or ZTA is to take full advantage of it. Therefore, there is a need to introduce the fundamental concepts, principles, and architectures of ZT in cybersecurity courses at a college to better prepare our new cybersecurity professionals for their careers.
In the last few years, we have developed a module and used it to introduce ZT in cybersecurity courses at senior undergraduate and graduate levels. Students' feedback is positive. This module includes an introduction to ZT and its principles, design issues in the traditional model of perimeter-based network security, zero trust architectures, security benefits of ZT, technical challenges to implement a ZTA, and the main threats to ZT networks. This article provides an overview of this module. We will also share the experience and lessons we have learned in our teaching practice. Our work will provide a good reference for those who teach cybersecurity courses at a college or university, or are developing a cybersecurity curriculum. It will also help busy professors develop or revise a zero trust module for their cybersecurity courses.
Keywords: Zero Trust; Education; Cybersecurity; Zero Trust Architecture
Building a Risk Management Mindset
- Sharon Mudd
- November 13th @ 11:05 AM
Risk management has been traditionally viewed as a business problem, i.e., financial risk, market risk, enterprise risk. However, with the rapid technological evolution that has produced today's always-on connected world, the tenets and processes of risk management have become an integral part of ensuring organizations' information assets are protected. The key questions information risk management tries to shed light on are – what needs to be protected and why? How should organizations establish and prioritize protective measures? How do you get key players in the organization on the same page? The starting point for these higher-level goals is to develop a practical understanding of what "Risk" means, which can be fundamentally different than how the term is currently used. For example, people often say risk to mean there are threats that may target an organization; or, to mean an organization has vulnerabilities in some systems or processes to shore up. Threats and vulnerabilities are factors of risk but alone neither is a good indicator of what risks an organization has or how do deal with them. Having a practical understanding for how to judge or quantify risk is critical for building effective risk assessments, prioritization strategies, and management processes. This session examines common misconceptions about information security risk and what every cybersecurity professional needs to learn to be an effective part of the risk management program.
The concepts in this workshop have been used to challenge organizational decision-makers and information security practitioners worldwide. The lessons learned will help participants in defining, understanding, and teaching risk management for individuals who lack this foundational mindset. Cybersecurity education and on-the-job training focus on the technical aspects of the field which often has the unintended consequence of building a black and white perspective of cybersecurity. Things are either good / right or bad / wrong. Understanding risk management helps individuals develop a mindset to embrace the nuances for evaluating risks that are more in a grey area and accept that some risk must exist in order for business to thrive while working with their resources most effectively. This workshop helps to lay the groundwork for moving away from a reactionary approach and towards a proactive approach for securing critical systems and data. If you want to understand the right level of protection needed for your data, you must understand where protection is needed, how critical the data is to the organization, and what is required to understand and manage the associated risk.
Integration of a Generative AI into Graduate Level Cybersecurity Coursework
- Andrew Hurd
- November 13th @ 1:15 PM
Generative AI is a concern throughout higher education. Educators are concerned with learners using the tools to complete coursework. It is known that the generative AI tools are high powered analyzers who can answer prompts and questions quickly. There are concerns with tools creating fictitious material and ghost references. Educators must determine if they are going to embrace the technology or if they are going to view the generative AI tools as a violation of academic integrity policies. If the educator embraces the generative tools, their role becomes the custodian of the work. If the educator does not allow the use of the tools in the course work then their responsibilities extends beyond grading, the educator must spend time determining if generative tools were used and job of the educator becomes more of being a police officer and scrutinize all references and content, in addition to spending time on creating informative feedback for the learners.
Embracing the generative AI tools and integrating them into the course work creates exciting new challenges that provides learners the opportunity to practice their problem-solving skills and fact checking capabilities. In a graduate level Global Cybersecurity learners were given case study prompts that were solved by generative AI tools. The educator worked the prompts such that ghost references and non-factual information was provided in the solution. The learners were given the completed assignments and were asked to fact find and correct the mistakes created by the tools. The case study was presented as a senior member of the c-suite used the generative tool to produce the result, but they needed the learner (from the position of a cybersecurity engineer) to fact find the case study report. In the second case study of the course the learner was provided with a similar prompt as the first assignment and was given two rubrics. One rubric is as if the learners completed the case study on their own and then second rubric was fixing the case study produced by the generative AI tools. Discussion board posts were used to analyze learner experiences.
This conference presentation will be about sharing the experience of the instructor on the course. The learner assignment will not be shared but the AI prompts and case study generative material will be shared.
Interdisciplinary Instruction: Combining Culture, Language, and Technology
- Jenny Ju; Morgan Zantua
- November 13th @ 1:50 PM
This session presents the integration of Korean culture and language education with foundational cybersecurity and programming skills. Our design team expanded the STARTALK pre-camp, camp, and post-camp model, enabling high school and college students with Intermediate Korean language skills to earn up to 30 college credits. The program offers experiential learning opportunities, immersive cultural activities, visits to military units, focused cybersecurity career exploration, and a hands-on approach to education. There is a focus on the synchronous and asynchronous curriculum design, student engagement techniques, the use of technology to enhance language learning within a cybersecurity context, and the benefits of integrating career assessment and site visits into courses.
Attendees will gain insights into developing interdisciplinary curricula that integrate language instruction with technical education, particularly cybersecurity. The session demonstrates how to foster student engagement through experiential learning activities and create pathways for careers in cybersecurity. Strategies for replicating this model, including cybersecurity-focused tours, embedded technical lessons, and cultural components that support career readiness, will be highlighted. The session aims to inspire educators, program developers, and administrators to explore innovative methods for merging language and technical education.
Cyber Talent Initiative - Mentoring Individuals and Nurturing Talent
- Connor Moore
- November 13th @ 2:25 PM
This research project explores the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity education and training to develop a tailored, comprehensive platform aimed at individuals interested in entering or advancing their careers in the cybersecurity field. The Cyber Talent Initiative seeks to address the growing global demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals by creating an innovative, adaptive learning environment that combines mentorship, practical training, and personalized career guidance. The platform leverages cutting-edge educational technologies, industry partnerships, and a network of experienced cybersecurity professionals to provide learners with a unique, hands-on experience. Key components of the initiative include interactive online courses, real-world scenario simulations, one-on-one mentoring sessions, and a robust community forum for peer-to-peer learning and networking. The research methodology involves a thorough analysis of current cybersecurity education trends, identification of skill gaps in the industry, and collaboration with cybersecurity experts to design curriculum and mentorship programs. The platform will be developed iteratively, with continuous feedback from users and industry partners to ensure relevance and effectiveness. By offering tailored learning paths for various cybersecurity roles and skill levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners, the Cyber Talent Initiative aims to nurture a new generation of cybersecurity professionals equipped to tackle the evolving challenges of the digital world. This research has the potential to significantly impact the cybersecurity talent pipeline and contribute to an enhanced global cybersecurity readiness.
Personally Identifiable Behavior
- Osama Shilbayeh
- November 13th @ 3:00 PM
The goal of this project is to examine the link between personally identifiable behavior and privacy violations.
Significance of the Study
PII provides information about an individual, and its violation results in cross-sectional privacy issues. PIB provides knowledge about an individual, and its violation results in longitudinal privacy issues. It can result in targeted attacks and behavior prediction and can be more persistent since it is based on an individual's behavior. PIB can also be achieved by accumulations of PII that are not protected by any law, such as mobile device sensors, IoT devices, smart home devices, and virtual reality hardware. Consumers are currently unaware of the application of such data, which threatens their privacy.
ABET Accreditation Criteria for Cybersecurity Programs & How to become a Program Evaluator
- Elizabeth Hawthorne, Mary Jane Willshire-Fairley
- November 13th @ 3:40 PM
ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) is a leading non-profit organization that accredits college and university programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. With a focus on ensuring quality and fostering innovation, ABET sets global standards for academic excellence, helping institutions prepare students to excel in their professional careers. Through rigorous evaluation and collaboration with industry experts, ABET accreditation assures employers that graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of an evolving workforce.
This presentation will provide an overview of the value of program accreditation for cybersecurity programs as well as the current criteria for accrediting a cybersecurity program at either the associate, bachelor's, or masters collegiate level. In addition, the relationship between ABET and CSAB, a member society, will be explained. The presentation will conclude with the steps to become an ABET program evaluator for cybersecurity. Handouts with more details will be available at the exhibit table.
Creating a Resilient Workforce by Strengthening Community Education EcoSystems
- Eleanor Taylor; Lori Barber; Hope Morrow; Kristie Kelley
- November 13th @ 4:20 PM
This session delves into how collaborative ecosystems, including community colleges, create sustainable models to address workforce shortages and enhance diversity in cybersecurity. Attendees will also gain insights into economic drivers, workforce projections, and strategies to establish or join education ecosystems, reflecting on upskilling and reskilling from educator, employer, and learner perspectives.
The panel includes leading experts from industry, academia and government to discuss effective learning models, shareable curricula, best practices and lessons learned, as well as other resources designed to build and strengthen resilience while accelerating workforce development efforts for both credit and non-credit programs.
Key activities and objectives for participants include:
- Examine how collaborative ecosystems, including community colleges, can address workforce shortages and enhance diversity
- Explore best practices, shareable curricula, and resources for developing training and workforce development programs in both the credit and non-credit space
- Understand economic drivers and workforce projections to drive development strategies
- Reflect on educator, employer, and learner perspectives on upskilling and reskilling
- Learn how to establish or join education ecosystems to offer training programs and learning opportunities to create a more resilient cyber workforce
These are aligned with the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy.
Choose Your Own Adventure
- Bryson Bort
- November 14th @ 9:15 AM
In the vein of old school Choose Your Own Adventures, this is a custom created Blue Team story that leads the audience through an incident response including technical and business considerations. The audience votes through a live poll on decision points in the story including detection, identification, response, remediation, and threat hunting for like compromises.
Codio - Sponsor Spotlight
- Kendra Evans
- November 14th @ 9:55 AM
Empowering the Next Generation of Cybersecurity
Deliver impactful cybersecurity learning experiences at scale with seamlessly integrated content, hands-on labs, and a flexible cyber range.
Breaking Security Defenses - SQL Injections that Aren't Detected by Filters
- Rubén V. Piña
- November 14th @ 2:20 PM
Nowadays Web Application Firewalls are used by the government sector, law enforcement agencies, banks, financial institutions, telecommunication companies and countless industries and entities in the private sector. Many of the most popular WAFs in the market were engineered by some of the world's leading IT companies. After a sample study of all the websites listed in HackerOne and Bugcrowd it was determined that between 40% and 50% of those websites use a WAF to protect their infrastructure against intrusions and attacks.
The security rules against SQL injection of 20 of the most popular WAF were thoroughly tested; the result was that all of them were broken, except for only one brand. The cross-site scripting security rules proved to be much more challenging than in previous years, but in the end most of them were bypassed (sometimes only partially i.e. user interaction) and only a small fraction appear to be secure.
Bypassing WAFs is not only a matter of obfuscating and encoding attack vectors anymore. Nowadays WAFs implement code parsers that attempt to distinguish dangerous code from safe to execute statements. I think it is fun to find ways to fool these parsers, to craft attack vectors that appear to be safe and that actually aren't.
Given the fact that WAFs are widely considered as a trustful security solution, the goal of this talk is to evaluate and measure the security level provided by different WAF products by showing various attack vectors that are able to bypass almost all of these products (SQLi and XSS). Attendees will acquire the necessary knowledge to be able to evaluate these security products and make better decisions regarding investment and implementation, and will learn the skills to know how to deal with these defenses when performing security audits.
Hands-On, Job-Ready
- Patrick Ester
- November 14th @ 3:10 PM
Bridging the Gap Between Cybersecurity Education and Industry Expectations
Bridging the Chasm
- Michael Biocchi
- November 15th @ 10:30 AM
In higher education, security education often remains less prioritized than other core computer science curricula. This oversight creates a skills gap, contributing to a notable workforce deficiency within the cyber security sector. Despite numerous institutions across Canada and the United States offering computer security courses, their exclusion from the mandatory graduation requisites further accentuates the problem. In this presentation, you'll learn about these gaps and how to best address them within your organization and the technical community at large.
- Exploring Existing Curriculum: An insight into the extant computer science curriculum in higher education, highlighting what students are currently learning and the crucial skills they are missing upon graduation.
- Highlighting the Security Education Deficit: Expounding on the dearth of security education received by students and its ensuing impact on the industry. Throughout my 15+ year tenure in higher education, I have strived to advocate for incorporating comprehensive computer security courses. Despite the challenges and opposition faced, the need for such educational reform has become ever more prominent.
- Understanding Resistance to Change: Unpacking the innate resistance towards change within educational institutions, perpetuating an outdated and inadequate system. I aim to reveal these inherent issues and detail how they exacerbate the skills gap problem.
- Advocating for Mandatory Computer Security Courses: Making a cogent argument as to why computer security courses should be an indispensable part of computer science programs.
- Initiating a Discourse for Change: Provoking a discussion surrounding computer security's marginalization in higher education. My aim to encourage the audience to foster partnerships with educational institutions and rally support for security education can herald the required revolution in the discipline's current approach.
Maha Alotaibi
Maha Alotaibi is a PhD student at Cardiff university, a dedicated educator and researcher with a passion for cybersecurity education, I have authored and contributed to several publications aimed at enhancing awareness and knowledge in the field. My bibliography reflects my commitment to advancing cybersecurity education, both through my doctoral research and practical contributions in academic and professional settings.
My job is a lecturer at Princess Nourah Bint Abdurahman University. My passion is my student as I have been working as a lecturer for 5 years. I have taught many subjects such as programming with Csharp language, c++ programming language, web development tools, Action script programming, introduction to programming in c language, computer science capstone. network security, java programming, advanced network security. Since participating in the Associate Fellowship program, I am committed to enhancing my teaching practices by incorporating the best practices learned during the fellowship. I aim to expand my knowledge in teaching methodologies and delivery techniques to create a more effective and engaging learning environment for my students. Furthermore, I am dedicated to developing innovative solutions that contribute to the success and academic growth of my students.
Annie Antón
Dr. Annie I. Antón is ADVANCE Professor of Computing (and former chair of) the School of Interactive Computing with a courtesy appointment in the Business Law and Ethics group in the Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. In 2016, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to the 12-person bi-partisan Commission on Enhancing Cybersecurity for the Nation. Antón currently serves on various boards, including: a U.S. Department of Defense Advisory Board and the Future of Privacy Forum Advisory Board.
Yan Bai
Dr. Yan Bai is a Professor in the School of Engineering and Technology, University of Washington Tacoma. Her research interests include computer networking, cybersecurity and privacy, eHealth, Internet of Things, blockchain, cloud and edge computing. She has published over 90 refereed papers in these areas. She has served as a General Chair/Program Chair/ Technical Program Committee Member for numerous IEEE conferences and workshops, and as a Reviewer for a wide range of high impact research journals and ACM/IEEE flagship conferences.
Joshua Ball
Joshua Ball is Codio's Vice President of Marketing and is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He received his MA in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews.
Wilson Bautista Jr.

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Wilson Bautista Jr. is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with a diverse background that spans music, military service, and information security. Currently serving as the CEO of Jun Cyber and the Executive Director of the Cyber Ohana Project, Wilson's unique journey has been shaped by his experiences as a pianist, a combat veteran, and a cybersecurity architect.
With a strong foundation in discipline and teamwork from his early years as a musician, Wilson transitioned into a leadership role in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he honed his skills in information technology and cybersecurity under the most demanding conditions. His combat experience in Afghanistan further refined his ability to anticipate and adapt to rapidly changing threats, a skill that has proven invaluable in the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity.
Wilson is a recognized expert in Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity, with deep expertise in DFARS, ITAR, CUI, CDI, and other regulatory compliance requirements. He is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA), with extensive experience in IT operations, risk management, and governance.
In addition to his technical skills, Wilson is passionate about leadership development in the cybersecurity industry. He hosts the Dev.Sec.Lead podcast, which helps bridge the gap between technical expertise and business leadership. His work with the Cyber Ohana Project focuses on helping veterans and their families transition into cybersecurity careers, providing mentorship, technical training, and career placement services.
Wilson's approach to cybersecurity is deeply influenced by his background in jazz music, where improvisation and collaboration are key. He draws parallels between the fluidity of jazz ensembles and the dynamic nature of cybersecurity teams, advocating for a creative and adaptable approach to security leadership.
Wilson holds an MBA from the University of South Florida, a Master’s degree in Information Systems Security from Boston University, and a Bachelor's degree in Music from Thomas Edison State University. His military service has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
Heather T. Bednarz
Heather T. Bednarz, MS, OTR/L, CDP, is an occupational therapist and certified dementia practitioner. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree at Wilkes University. With 16 years of experience as an occupational therapist focusing on the geriatric population, Heather holds 2 U.S. patents. One patent is for an expandable wheelchair, and the other is for a pressure redistribution system. Her current research focuses on the correlation between occupational therapy educators' knowledge of cybersecurity and the integration of cybersafety concepts into occupational therapy curricula and practices.
M. Sajjad H. Bhuiyan
M. Sajjad Bhuiyan is a consultant specializing in web development, software solutions, and cybersecurity. With over 15 years of experience in web design and development, he has deep expertise in both front-end and back-end technologies. Sajjad excels at building responsive, user-friendly websites while incorporating advanced security measures to protect sensitive data. Acknowledging the critical role of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence in shaping the future, he holds a master's degree in cybersecurity and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. His research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity, including threats, attacks, mitigation strategies, and policy development.
Michael Biocchi
Michael Biocchi has completed his PhD and has received his Masters of Science as well as his Bachelor of Computer Science. He is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Michael has taught in the education sector for over 15 years, teaching various computer science courses at several different institutions across Canada. Computer security and education are two major passions of his and he's working to solve the problem of the missing security course in higher education.
Jane Blanken-Webb
Jane Blanken-Webb, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program at Wilkes University. A specialist in John Dewey's philosophy, she bridges her expertise in philosophy of education with a focus on cybersecurity. Jane developed a doctoral-level course, Cybersecurity for Educational Leaders, which has inspired several interdisciplinary dissertation projects exploring the critical intersection of education and cybersecurity. Her work, supported by cybersecurity experts, contributes to preparing leaders for the digital age. Prior to Wilkes, she held postdoctoral positions, including at the Information Trust Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Bryson Bort
Bryson is the Founder of SCYTHE, a start-up building a next-generation threat emulation platform, and GRIMM, a cybersecurity consultancy, and Co-Founder of the ICS Village, a non-profit advancing awareness of industrial control system security. He is a Senior Fellow at the National Security Institute, USMA EECS Advisory Board member, and Adjunct Senior Technical Advisor for the Institute of Security and Technology. As a U.S. Army Officer, he served as a Battle Captain and Brigade Engineering Officer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom before leaving the Army as a Captain. He is recognized as a 'Top 50 in Cyber' by Business Insider, 'Security Executive Finalist of the Year' by SC Media, was awarded 'Tech Titan' twice and is the 2023 SANS Difference Maker Award Winner for Innovator of the Year.
Bryson received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with honors from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He holds a Master's Degree in Telecommunications Management from the University of Maryland, a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Florida, and completed graduate studies in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas.
Brian Robert Callahan
Dr. Brian Callahan is the Graduate Program Director and Senior Lecturer in the Information Technology & Web Science program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the Founder and Director of the Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory, where his research interests include business and social cases for cybersecurity, the intersection of Generative AI and cybersecurity, the intersection of Quantum computing and cybersecurity, and improving security knowledge for everyday people. He teaches a variety of cybersecurity courses ranging from red teaming to cloud security, and is the faculty coach and sponsor of RPI's premier CTF team. He can be found online at https://briancallahan.net
Quinn Colognato
Quinn Colognato is a sophomore at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute majoring in Information Technology & Web Science and Computer Science with a focus track in Information Security. She serves on leadership for the Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory and the RPI Association for Computing Machinery Women's Chapter. She also conducts research in the Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory on the intersection between Quantum Computing and Generative AI and mentors her peers in computer science.
Terry Downing-Harris
Terry Downing-Harris is currently a doctoral student working on her dissertation, researching cybersecurity processes (i.e., secure Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM)) being integrated into software engineering curriculum. In addition to being a Lecturer in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Towson University; Terry brings over twenty years of real-world experience working in the field of Information Technology (IT) in such areas as IT Consultant and Management, Systems Analyst and Computer Programming. Furthermore, Terry teaching courses in Computer Science and Information Systems which stimulates and engage student involvement and participation.
Marc Dupuis
Marc J. Dupuis, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor within the Computing and Software Systems Division at the University of Washington Bothell where he also serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator. Dr. Dupuis earned a Ph.D. in Information Science at the University of Washington with an emphasis on cybersecurity. Prior to this, he earned an M.S. in Information Science and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Washington, as well as an M.A. in Political Science at Western Washington University
His research area is cybersecurity with an emphasis on the human factors of cybersecurity. The primary focus of his research involves the examination of psychological traits and their relationship to the cybersecurity and privacy behavior of individuals. This has included an examination of antecedents and related behaviors, as well as usable security and privacy. His goal is to both understand behavior as it relates to cybersecurity and privacy, and discover what may be done to improve that behavior.
More recently, Dr. Dupuis and his collaborators have been exploring the use of fear appeals, shame, regret, forgiveness, and grace in cybersecurity, including issues related to their efficacy and the ethics of using such techniques to engender behavioral change. He has a strong track record of multi-disciplinary research and loves involving his students in his research. Security and privacy education and outreach are key components of his work.
Patrick Ester

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Patrick is Codio's Director of Content. He has spent the last eight years teaching computers and programming to students in K-12 schools.
Kendra Evans
With a decade of classroom experience across various subjects and grades, Kendra has dedicated herself to education. She collaborated with CISA to develop cybersecurity curriculum for K-12 teachers nationwide, seamlessly integrating it into everyday learning. Kendra's goal is to create and provide content that will help them grow as individual learners.
Erik Fretheim

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As the Director of Cyber Security Programs, Dr. Erik Fretheim is responsible for overseeing the BS in Cybersecurity programs on the main campus in Bellingham and in Poulsbo, the Minor and Certificate in Cybersecurity programs in Poulsbo, Cyber Range Poulsbo, and the Cybersecurity and Privacy Initiative of the Internet Studies Center. He has been in the position since 2016.
"Western, as a result of its ties to the outstanding cybersecurity programs at Whatcom Community College and other area colleges, is in a unique position to become a leader in education and in the broader community as a multi-disciplinary center for cybersecurity and privacy by working closely with local industries and organizations to ensure their needs are addressed," Fretheim said.
Fretheim has master's and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He also has an MBA in International Business from Long Island University and a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy.
Dr. Fretheim retired from the US Army after 33 years of service including 19 years on the faculty at the United States Military Academy. He has previously served as the executive director and professor at the Technology Institute at City University in Seattle; an independent consultant in technology and cyber security; vice president of Peek Engineering; chief technology officer at I5 Digital, and chief information officer at Grange Insurance Group.
Emily Goldman
Emily Goldman is a junior dual major in Computer Science and Information Technology & Web Science. She participates in CTF competitions and cybersecurity research in the Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory. She has conducted research on the behaviors of ROPchains on OpenBSD systems, condensed information on vulnerabilities and mitigation suggestions for modern healthcare systems, and worked on RPI's new quantum computer to crack pseudo-RSA using Shor's algorithm. When she is not burying herself in the latest TryHackMe room, she will typically be knitting or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Keyan Guo
Keyan Guo is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, under the mentorship of Dr. Hongxin Hu. His research focuses on AI security and cybersecurity, including developing advanced AI-driven solutions for combating online hate, harassment, and abuse. Keyan has published multiple papers in leading computer security and AI conferences, including USENIX Security, IEEE S&P, NDSS, and ASONAM. He is also dedicated to AI-driven education, designing hands-on cybersecurity labs to help the younger generation effectively learn and apply AI and cybersecurity knowledge.
Elizabeth Hawthorne
Elizabeth "Beth" Hawthorne is a professor and a cybersecurity graduate program director in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, based in Arlington.
Hawthorne joined Khoury College in 2024 to collaborate with top-notch computer science and cybersecurity colleagues in the Align network and to impact the career trajectories of students. She teaches graduate courses in cybersecurity and digital forensics, and is particularly passionate about the exciting, dynamic field of cybersecurity education.
Previously, Hawthorne was an online lecturer at Rider University, and the founding director and curriculum developer for the university's cybersecurity graduate program. As director, she taught online cybersecurity courses, advised students, supervised graduate assistants, and hired faculty. Hawthorne strives to broaden participation in computing and is a former chair of the ACM Education Board, which promotes computing education at all collegiate levels.
Vahid Heydari
Dr. Vahid Heydari is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Morgan State University, specializing in the application of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity, moving target defense, malware analysis, and industrial control system security. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering and an M.S. in Cybersecurity from The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Prior to joining Morgan State, he was an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Cybersecurity Education and Research at Rowan University.
Robert Honomichl
Dr. Robert Honomichl, an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona, has an extensive K12 computer science and cybersecurity education background. He aims to increase the opportunities and accessibility of cybersecurity courses and educator professional development.
Honomichl led six GenCyber Teachers camps and has been an instructor at 20 GenCyber student Camps. He has also led other cybersecurity education professional development, including an NSA K12 Cybersecurity for All Pilot, two CTE CyberNet Academies, and the Tucson Middle Grades Accelerator program. He has partnered with other CAE schools and played an integral part in the three-year Cybersecurity High School Innovation grant.
Mary Ann Hoppa
Dr. Mary Ann Hoppa is a Professor in the Computer Science department at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia USA, where she also serves as the Cybersecurity Graduate Program Coordinator. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Hoppa enjoyed a multi-decade career in IT research and development, where her last role was technical lead for Knowledge Management for a global firm. Dr. Hoppa's research interests include cybersecurity, cyberpsychology, machine learning, artificial intelligence and pedagogy.
Andrew Hurd
Dr. Hurd is responsible for instruction and curriculum development in the MSIT and MS in Cybersecurity programs. Prior to joining Empire University, he worked at SUNY Albany, SNHU, Excelsior University and Hudson Valley CC. Dr. Hurd holds dual Bachelors of Arts in Computer Science and Mathematics, a Masters in the Science of Teaching Mathematics, and a PhD in Information Sciences specialized in Information Assurance and Online Learning. He won the SUNY Chancellors award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012 while working at HVCC. Dr. Hurd research focus is on Cybersecurity and Computer Science education. He strives to find ways to teach cybersecurity and computer science more efficiently to the new generation of learners.
Angela Imanuel
Angela Imanuel is a Junior at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, pursuing a dual major in Computer Science and Information Technology & Web Science. She has a strong passion for software engineering, web development, and design, with aspirations to apply her skills to make a meaningful impact in the future. Alongside her academic focus, Angela is actively involved in the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers and Eighth Wonder on campus, where she holds leadership roles. She is always eager to learn, grow, and expand her knowledge while contributing positively to the communities she is part of.
Jenny Ju
Jenny Ju is the associate director of the Center for Cybersecurity Innovation at City University of Seattle and an Assistant Professor at the School of Technology & Computing. She earned her Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kaitlin Kaii
Kaitlin Kaii is a sophomore Science, Tech, and Society and Information Technology & Web Science dual major. She is a research assistant for the Quantum Computing and Generative AI project in the Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory. This opportunity has given her the chance to gain a lot of opportunities and develop her networking skills. The RCC is an open and welcoming community that has allowed her to enrich my studies. She has a strong passion for the humanities and she intends to pursue a career in the interdisciplinary study and practice of Law and Technology.
Noah Kenney
Noah M. Kenney is a PhD student at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he studies Human-Centered Computing. He is funded by a NSF grant, where his work focuses on data privacy, and is a head teaching apprentice for Georgia Institute of Technology’s Privacy, Policy, Technology, Law course. In addition, Mr. Kenney consults for various organizations on AI, data privacy, and cybersecurity. He also serves as President of the Ethical AI Forum global think tank, focusing on the ethical and safe development, deployment, and utilization of AI technologies.
Kalam Khadka
Kalam Khadka is a PhD candidate in Cybersecurity at the University of Canberra, Australia. His research focuses on social engineering strategies, particularly the use of persuasion principles in phishing attacks, and their impact on cybersecurity defenses. Kalam has conducted extensive studies on phishing email analysis, aiming to develop more effective detection, prevention, and training & awareness methods. In 2023, he published a paper contributing to the understanding of phishing tactics and human vulnerabilities in cybersecurity.
Denise Kinsey
- 2010 - Capella University (Minneapolis , Minnesota) Doctor of Philosophy, Teaching and Training Online
- 2001 - University of Toledo (Toledo, Ohio) Master of Business Administration, Administration
- 1998 - Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, Ohio) Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Business Administration
Bhargava Kumar

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Bhargava Kumar is a senior technology professional at TD Securities, driving strategic business outcomes through the transformative application of AI and Machine Learning. Bhargava has published numerous papers, including work presented at ICML, and serves as a reviewer for top AI and ML conferences like NeurIPS and ICLR, as well as various journals. He is dedicated to advancing trustworthy AI by integrating ethical standards and regulatory compliance into financial solutions, and is focused on making Large Language Models safer, more trustworthy, and effective for enhancing decision-making in finance.
Juan Li
Dr. Juan Li is a Professor of Computer Science at North Dakota State University, specializing in Artificial Intelligence, distributed systems, and cybersecurity. Her research focuses on applying AI to enhance the intelligence and security of large-scale systems in areas like healthcare and IoT networks. With over 100 publications in esteemed conferences and journals, Dr. Li is a recognized expert in her field. She is passionate about leveraging AI for practical applications that improve efficiency and safety in critical domains.
Maura Lyons
Maura Lyons is a Marketing Associate at Codio. She received a BA in psychology and English from Dickinson College, where she completed psychology research.
Nate Mathews
Nate Mathews is a Ph.D. candidate in Computing and Information Sciences at RIT. His research focuses on the intersection of privacy, security, and deep learning with a focus on traffic analysis. Among his publications, he is the lead author of a paper that appeared in the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy, the top venue in systems security research.
Herb Mattord
Herb Mattord, Ph.D., CISM, CISSP completed 26 years of IT industry experience before joining the faculty at Kennesaw State University in 2002. He was formerly with Georgia-Pacific Corporation. He is on the Faculty at Kennesaw State University with the rank of Associate Professor, teaching Information Security, Cybersecurity, and Information Systems. Herb is also the Associate Director, Center for Information Security Education and the Director of Education, Institute for Cybersecurity Workforce Development.
Sean McBride
Dr. Sean McBride is the Director of the Informatics Research Institute at Idaho State University (ISU) and formerly served as the first Program Coordinator for ISU's ABET accredited and CAE-designated Industrial Cybersecurity Engineering Technology Program. His teaching and research interests have focused on critical infrastructure, industrial control systems, threat intelligence, and workforce development.
Felipe Medina

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Felipe is responsible for overseeing information security operations and compliance initiatives within the dynamic Software as a Service (SaaS) environment. Managing a team of security personnel, handling day-to-day functional duties, administrative responsibilities, and resource planning. He works on specified and implemented processes and policies including Security Information and Event Management systems, ensuring effective monitoring and response capabilities. He also conducts continuous ethical hacking on internal environments to identify potential vulnerabilities, participating in vulnerability assessments for the network and applications. He also coordinates with internal and external stakeholders to assess security requirements, ensuring that all designs meet compliance standards. Provides oversight for the penetration testing process, generating detailed reports with recommendations for remediation and improvements.
Aanya Mehta
Aanya Mehta is a junior at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, pursuing a dual major in Computer Science and Information Technology & Web Science with a focus track in Information Security. She has conducted research on the intersection of Generative AI and Quantum Computing, fine-tuning large language models with quantum techniques. Last summer, she interned at Google, developing a full-stack web application and building a data pipeline to aggregate and transform complex datasets. She is passionate about solving real-world challenges through innovative technology and looks forward to applying her skills to create impactful solutions.
Connor Moore
Connor Moore is a senior at the University of North Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. As the Logistics Officer for the UNG Cyber Unit, he manages the end-to-end supply chain for a 50-member cyber education and training unit. Moore also serves as a student representative for the AFCEA Dahlonega chapter, demonstrating his commitment to professional development in the field.
Moore has participated in several prestigious cybersecurity competitions, including the NSA Codebreaker Challenge, NSA National Cyber Exercise, and National Cyber League. These experiences have honed his practical skills and problem-solving abilities in real-world cybersecurity scenarios. Most recently, Moore completed a Research and Exploratory Development (REDD) internship at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, Maryland. During this internship, he conducted research on Large Language Models and collaborated with a team to leverage cutting-edge AI technologies in research and development projects.
Upon graduation, Moore plans to commission as an officer in the Georgia Army National Guard, pursuing a part-time military career in Cyber. Concurrently, he aims to secure a full-time position in either state or federal government while working towards a Master's degree in Cybersecurity.
Moore's combination of academic excellence, practical experience, and leadership skills positions him as a promising professional in the cybersecurity field, ready to contribute to both military and civilian sectors.Sharon Mudd
Sharon Mudd is currently a Senior Cybersecurity Operations Researcher in the CERT® division of the Software Engineering Institute @Carnegie Mellon University, helping international teams build security operations and incident management capabilities. In this role, she provides mentoring and training on a broad range of cybersecurity topics to foster development of maturity for security incident response and security operations teams internationally. Her career spans 30+ years in IT and information security roles, focusing on information security governance, risk management, compliance, and assurance. She has been a GRC leader in several organizations with global information security responsibilities across a diverse set of industries, including financial services, retail, education, government, telecommunications, and healthcare. In 2024, Sharon completed a PhD in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity focusing on human factors within information security risk management.
Priyaranjan Pattnayak

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Priyaranjan (Priyan) Pattnayak is a Senior Principal Data Scientist at Oracle Cloud, where he leads AI efforts for customer experience, cloud console, cloud platform and availability organizations in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). With 11 years of experience in machine learning and AI and a Master's degree from the University of Washington, Seattle, Priyan has developed a unique expertise in evaluating cutting-edge AI technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs), Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), human-in-loop systems, and multi-agent frameworks.
His current research focuses on building collaborative systems between autonomous agents to achieve diverse goals and exploring multi-modal models and the evaluation of LMMs. Priyan's extensive background in unsupervised learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and anomaly detection equips him to tackle complex challenges in AI. At the forefront of AI innovations, he drives business value and mitigates risks through his pioneering work.
In addition to his professional responsibilities, Priyan is actively involved in the AI community as a judge at conferences and a peer reviewer for top-tier conferences such as ICLR and NeurIPS.
Matthew Perrino
Currently, I am a Senior attending the University of North Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. In the UNG Corps of Cadets, I hold the position of Commander of the Cyber Unit. As commander, I supervise and refine all operations and ensure members receive effective preparation for capture-the-flag challenges. I have a passion for red teaming and Artificial Intelligence, which is where I wanted to focus my capstone research.
Previous competitions include the 2021-2024 NSA Codebreaker Competition, the 2022-2024 NSA Cyber Exercise, the 2023 CPTC Regionals, and the 2021-2024 Cyber Skyline competitions.I have held two internships. The first was at the Army Cyber Institute at the United States Military Academy in 2023. The second was the CY 24 Pathfinder Program through the Department of Defense Office of Test and Evaluation contracted through the Millennium Corporation. This internship was hosted at the University of Central Florida.Upon graduation, I want to earn a Master's in Cybersecurity and my CompTIA Security + and PenTest + certifications.I want to pursue a career in a Red Team or Cybersecurity Engineer role. Furthermore, I want to work in these roles through the Department of Defense or with a Defense Contractor. I aim to contribute my skills to protect my country and enhance the Cybersecurity posture of the United States.Rubén V. Piña
Rubén V. Piña has worked for governments of different countries, law enforcement agencies, various firms and enterprises. He has been invited as a speaker and trainer to several international security conferences, including OWASP Global AppSec USA, Hackfest Quebec, BSides, DragonJAR Security Conferences, and others. He entered the field of computer security around 20 years ago, and although his involvement hasn't been continuous, he enjoys conducting research in his free time. He is a published researcher.
Robert K. Price

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Supervisory Special Agent Robert K. Price manages the FBI's Computer Intrusion (Cyber) Program for the Tampa Division, covering the Middle District of Florida. He has investigated a variety of cyber matters as well as violent crimes and acts of terrorism overseas for more than 20 years. He worked in FBIHQ's Cyber Division and managed the FBI's Cyber Action Team. For three years he served as the Assistant Legal Attaché at the U.S. Embassy, Trinidad and Tobago. He has led the Tampa Cyber Investigations program since 2021, represented the FBI in more than 20 countries, and responded to several high-profile terrorist attacks.
Joseph Reddington
In 2014, a nominally productive mathematician was denied jobs by interview panels for research he hadn't committed. This man promptly escaped from a maximum security post-doc to the nonprofit underground. Today, still completely unwanted for research anywhere, he survives as the founder of an education charity.
If you have a problem in the areas of schools, assistive technology, creative writing, or teaching, if no one else can help, and if you can find him on literally any social network, then maybe you could hire... Joe.
Ivo Rosa
Ivo Rosa is a cybersecurity specialist with over 15 years of experience, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Web Science and Technology at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) and serving as an Invited Assistant Professor at ISTEC – Higher Institute of Advanced Technologies. He is also the Global Head of Cybersecurity Operations at EDP Group, where he leads digital protection and innovation initiatives. His research interests include cloud security, threat inteligence and cybersecurity education, focusing on strengthening digital resilience.
Hannah Rose
Hannah is a Junior at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute studying Information Technology & Web Science. Her interests lie in cybersecurity and human-computer interaction.
Keenan Schilp
Keenan Schilp is a fourth year undergraduate student of electrical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from Wayland, MA working in the Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory. His research interests lie in the intersection of signal processing, vulnerability research, and emerging techniques in quantum algorithms. His work has focused on applying quantum processors to achievable datasets to explore the current capabilities of quantum machines. This work also includes the optimization of quantum hardware, and the test and verification of common cryptography algorithms. Some hobbies include hiking, skiing, traveling, and tinkering on embedded machines.
Christopher Schwartz
Christopher Schwartz, PhD, is a research scientist in the Department of Cybersecurity and School of Interactive Gaming and Media at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is part of the DeFake deepfake detection team headed by Dr. Matthew Wright. Formerly a journalist, he earned a doctorate in philosophy from the Institute of Philosophy at KU Leuven, Belgium, where he was also a guest researcher in the Computer Security and Industrial Cryptography research group.
Sandeep Shah
Sandeep Shah is an alumni at North Carolina A&T State University(NCAT), graduated in Computer Science. He is currently working as a Programmer/Analyst in Huntington National Bank. His research at NCAT was focused on ML and Cybersecurity. Shah has published multiple papers in leading computer security and AI conferences, including IEEE and ACM. He is also dedicated in developing secured software using his knowledge from his research at NCAT.
Ashu Sharma
I am Dr. Ashu Sharma. My area of interest is studying new malware and providing protection against them. I am currently working at WatchGuard Technologies in Noida, India. I have more than 4 years of industry experience in malware analysis and over 2 years of teaching experience in academia. I have been a speaker at many reputed conferences and workshops. I earned my M.Tech degree in Information Security from the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Gwalior, India. I completed my Ph.D. in static malware analysis at BITS Pilani, where I worked with Prof. S. K. Sahay. During my post-doctoral research at IIT Kanpur, I worked on 'Malware Identification via Dynamic Analysis' with Prof. Sandeep Shukla. I have numerous publications on malware detection in reputable conferences and journals.
Osama Shilbayeh
I am a dedicated Cybersecurity student pursuing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Tampa. With top rankings in global cybersecurity competitions, I excel in Threat Intelligence, Data Loss Prevention, and web development. Active in organizations like (ISC)² Tampa Bay and the National CyberWatch Center, I am leveraging cutting-edge knowledge to create impactful cybersecurity solutions.
Krista Stacey
Mrs. Krista Stacey is an Instructor and doctoral student at the University of South Alabama, researching machine learning in diverse computing ecosystems. She holds an MS in Computer Science and an MEd in Secondary Education, both from South. With over 15 years of teaching experience in Mobile County Public Schools, Krista now focuses on core computer science education and game development in the School of Computing. Her undergraduate degree is in CIS and Spanish from Troy University. She is married with two soccer-playing sons, enjoys cooking, and is an avid Sailor Moon fan.
Shoshana Sugerman
Shoshana Sugerman is a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology & Web Science with a focus track in Information Security. She has hands-on experience in cybersecurity and quantum computing, serving as a lead researcher on projects involving augmented reality cybersecurity training, Grover's algorithm for threat detection, and ethical considerations of AI in security. Shoshana also competed in the National Cyber League, ranking in the top percentiles. Proficient in various programming languages and technologies, she actively contributes to advancing cybersecurity and AI-driven educational methodologies.
Xinli Wang
Xinli Wang, PhD
Associate Professor
College of Computing
Grand Valley State University
Email: wangx@gvsu.edu
Phone: 616-331-4335
Teaching areas:
- Cybersecurity: system security, data security and privacy, digital forensics, information assurance
- Computing languages: C programming, scripting, Java programming
- IT: Windows System Administration, Network Engineering, LDAP
- Others: distributed computing, cloud computing
Research interests:
- Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity education
- IT education
- Cloud computing evaluationli>
- Distributed systems
Mary Jane Willshire-Fairley
Mary Jane Willshire-Fairley, Ph.D. is a retired academic and consultant. She has been a CSAB volunteer for 16 years and has served as a Peer Evaluator (PEV), CAC Commissioner and Team Chair, and as a member of the CAC Executive Committee. She is also the Past President of CSAB. Her strong interest in quality education for computing students drives her volunteer efforts. She is active in recruiting new volunteers and their subsequent training to work on ABET teams.
Carol Woody

- Withdrew on October 21st
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Dr. Carol Woody is a principal researcher for the CERT division of the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. She leads a team building capabilities and competencies for measuring, managing, and sustaining cybersecurity for highly complex software intensive systems and supply chains. She has successfully implemented solutions in many domains including banking, mining, manufacturing, government, and finance. She coauthored, with Nancy Mead, a book Cyber Security Engineering: A Practical Approach for Systems and Software Assurance published by Pearson Education as part of the SEI Series in Software Engineering. The CERT Cybersecurity Engineering and Software Assurance Professional Certificate is based on the research she led.
Matthew Wright
Matt Wright is Endowed Professor and Chair of Cybersecurity at RIT. He earned his PhD in CS at the University of Massachusetts in 2005. His research interests include deepfake detection, applying AI to malware and traffic analysis, and understanding the human element of security. He has over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including many works appearing in top-tier venues in cybersecurity, human-computer interaction, and computer networks.
Guang Yang
I am a master's student in Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) at UC Berkeley, focusing on three primary research areas:
- SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response): I am researching software solutions that leverage AI and machine learning to enable systems to autonomously detect and respond to cybersecurity vulnerabilities, threats, and events.
- Human Activity Data Quantification: I am collaborating with Genentech on quantifying human activity data to identify novel biomarkers to advancements in digital health.
- Decentralized AI Blockchain Protocols: I am designing decentralized AI blockchain protocols to enhance energy efficiency in cryptocurrency mining, aiming to reduce its environmental impact and promote sustainable technology solutions.
Paige Zaleppa
Paige has been pursuing a PhD in Information Technology at Towson University, where she researches the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Education. Her work aims to connect educators and students with resources that will help cultivate the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Morgan Zantua
Morgan Zantua is the Director of the Center for Cybersecurity Innovation at City University of Seattle, Program Manager for the Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, and Associate Professor at the School of Technology & Computing (STC). Morgan is the Principal Investigator (PI) on multiple grants to expand cybersecurity career pathways opportunities through teacher development and cybersecurity career exploration. STARTALK - Korean integrates culture, language, web design, Cybersecurity and Python programming for high school and college Korean language learners. She convenes teams to create innovative and integrated solutions to attract transitioning military and the Center actively involved in an SBA Cyber clinic and VICEROY. She is faculty advisor to the CityU WiCyS. Morgan's research interests include Evidencing Competencies through Competitions with Dr. Daniel Manson, psychometric profiling of cybersecurity work roles, and strategies for transitioning military into cyber roles. She holds a master's degree in Whole Systems Design and thirty years' experience in workforce development.
Martin Zinaich

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Martin Zinaich is the Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Tampa. With over 30 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity, he created and directs the City's Information Security Office.
Previous work includes a decade in the private sector as a research and development engineer and technical manager in the telecommunications industry.
Martin was honored with the Cyber Security Leadership and Innovation Award from the Center for Digital Government. He is cochair of Florida's Region 4 Working Group on Cyber Terrorism and chair of the Urban Area Cyber Discipline Working Group. His article on cybersecurity entitled 'What does Information Security Have in Common with Eastern Airlines Flight 401' has been called a foundational work.
Martin has earned many industry certifications, is a prominent speaker on cybersecurity, and is part of the Information Systems Security Certification Consortium's Safe and Secure Online program.
Neal Ziring

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Mr. Neal Ziring is the Technical Director for the National Security Agency (NSA)'s Cybersecurity Directorate. In that role, he is responsible for a wide variety of technical assessment, external engagement, workforce developments, and strategic direction issues for NSA's cybersecurity mission. In his past position, he served as the Technical Director of the NSA Capabilities Directorate. In that role, he tracked technical initiatives, promoted the professional health of a diverse technical staff, and served as liaison to various external partners. Prior to the formation of the Capabilities Directorate, Mr. Ziring served as Technical Director of the Information Assurance Directorate for five years.
His personal expertise areas include security automation, IPv6, cloud computing, cross-domain information exchange, data access control, and cyber defense.
Prior to coming to NSA in 1988, Neal worked at AT&T Bell Labs. He has BS degrees in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and an MS degree in Computer Science, all from Washington University in St. Louis. Since then, he has also taken classes from Columbia University, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and George Washington University.

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ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) is a leading non-profit organization that accredits college and university programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. With a focus on ensuring quality and fostering innovation, ABET sets global standards for academic excellence, helping institutions prepare students to excel in their professional careers. Through rigorous evaluation and collaboration with industry experts, ABET accreditation assures employers that graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the demands of an evolving workforce.

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CISSE™ offers a distinctive platform for showcasing your organization with precision, targeting not just cybersecurity enthusiasts, but the educators in cybersecurity. For 28 years, the esteemed members of CISSE™, including those deeply invested in educational methodologies, have convened to unravel the complexities of teaching emerging subjects. Place your tools and resources in the hands of these distinguished individuals and demonstrate how you can bolster their mission.
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