Code Warriors: IT Students and Faculty Excel in Cybersecurity Activities

This Spring, the Radford University Department of Information Technology continued to lead the charge in cybersecurity education.

In February, the Radford University Cyber Defense Club earned second place at the inaugural Virginia Fusion Cyber Cup Competition, at which schools from across the state competed in cybersecurity challenges.

Team members, coached by Associate Professor of Computer Science Prem Uppuluri, included Jacob Walters, Mehdi Himmiche, Harry Frank, Joey Burt ’17, Michael Basala and Sean Anderson. Joining the participating team members were students Ben Adams, Carlie Addicks, Danielle Pompa and Matthew Wallace ’17, who served as observers to prepare for future competitions.

During the competition, teams tackled problems in scenarios designed to model real-world computer security challenges across a range of categories that include cryptography, network traffic analysis, reverse engineering, steganography, memory forensics and pen-testing.

Radford University faculty members have also showcased their cybersecurity expertise at several on- and off-campus functions.

In March, Uppuluri was featured at the Making Connections cybersecurity conference in Roanoke. There, he sat on a panel with Gen. James Clapper, former director of National Intelligence under President Barack Obama. Uppuluri shared Radford University’s efforts to prepare students for the cybersecurity workforce and stressed the sooner students are introduced to cybersecurity practices, the more their interest will grow. He also suggested educators think of ways to incorporate cybersecurity training into everyday lessons.

The conference, hosted by Roanoke County Public Schools and the Virginia Society for Technology in Education, was a new technology summit held with the goal of increasing the pipeline of students in cybersecurity.

Radford University has been at the forefront of that effort in Virginia with programs such as a class for middle and high school students entitled “Data Security, Ethics and Privacy,” as well as with training for teachers and other faculty members. Uppuluri, along with additional members of the Department of Information Technology faculty, created this programming, secured grant funding from the National Security Agency (NSA) and established the Center for Information Security at Radford University.

“The demand for cybersecurity professionals is projected to far exceed the number of graduates produced by higher education,” said chair of the Department of Information Technology Jeff Pittges. “Our department is committed to providing the highest quality cybersecurity education to ensure that our graduates master the necessary skills and best practices to protect the Commonwealth and the nation.”

To further pique students’ interest in cybersecurity, Radford University hosted in April one of the Commonwealth’s largest cybersecurity competitions, called “Capture the Flag.” More than 250 students, representing 63 teams from 28 high schools and three community colleges, participated in the competition, which was co-directed by Uppuluri and Professor of Information Technology Joe Chase.

These events are the most recent in a series of intentional activities by the Radford University community to enhance cybersecurity training.

In June 2016, Radford University was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the NSA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Radford University is one of only seven four-year institutions in Virginia to earn the prestigious national CAE-CDE designation. ■