|
|
|
|
|
|
From left to right: CCI Northern Virginia Node Director Liza Wilson Durant, CCI Impact Award Winner Duminda Wijesekera, CCI Executive Director Luiz DaSilva
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our first annual all-hands meeting on April 4-5 in Richmond, Virginia, was a rousing success! We brought together more than 200 CCI-funded researchers and students to learn, network, and build the foundation for future collaborations. The student poster session, which had 55 posters given by teams of students, was a highlight of the event. And nearly 50 speed briefings were given by faculty in the topics of xG, AI Assurance, autonomous systems, and the human side of cybersecurity.
Go to the wrap-up section of the CCI Symposium to download the State of CCI Address, watch the wrap-up video, find photos, and access the list of the speed briefing presenters and how to contact them. We’re already planning next year’s meeting!
|
|
Take your innovative idea to market
|
|
|
Under the leadership of the CCI Northern Virginia regional node, this call for proposals is open to all researchers in the CCI network. Make the leap from the lab to the marketplace by submitting a proposed project to the Cyber Acceleration, Translation, and Advanced Prototyping for University Linked Technology (CATAPULT) Fund. The fund is designed to advance collaborative translational research projects among CCI partners, giving a boost to help academic research move past the “Valley of Death” phase of commercialization. Funded projects will be able to participate in the CCI + Accelerator, which also supports becoming a start-up. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis. Send questions to NoVaCCI@gmu.edu.
Please check out our Call for Proposals page for more research funding opportunities.
|
|
New CCI testbeds open in Central Virginia
|
|
|
I was delighted to tour the three new testbeds that opened this month at Virginia Commonwealth University, which is the lead university for the CCI Central Virginia region. Researchers and students are using testbeds dedicated to securing medical devices, NextG connectivity, and smart cities. The work being done in the NextG and medical devices testbeds can also be tested in the OpenCyberCity testbed. This unique research infrastructure built by the CCI Central Virginia Node will benefit researchers, students, and industry partners throughout the commonwealth.
|
|
|
Top row from left to right: CCI Executive Director Luiz DaSilva and CCI Central Virginia Director Erdem Topsakal cutting the ribbon for the new testbeds in the CCI Central Virginia region; Jonathan Lundquist, a VCU electrical and computing engineering PhD student, discusses some of the NextG Testbed equipment with Luiz.
Bottom row left to right: VCU PhD student Lauren Linkous discusses the Medical Devices Security Testbed; CCI OpenCyberCity is a mini city where researchers and students can test their ideas.
|
|
|
|
The testbeds also dovetail with VCU’s new Dreams to Reality Incubator. I enjoyed talking with the founders of two new companies that have launched from the incubator. Symple Solutions, Inc. is innovating the next generation of safe and secure Instrumentation and Control Systems for critical infrastructures, including nuclear power, autonomous systems, and more. It’s led by Carl Elks, a VCU electrical and computer engineering associate professor. VirtualPLC is designed to mimic programmable logic controllers used in industry settings to collect threat intelligence on physical processes in the U.S. critical infrastructures such as nuclear plants and gas pipelines. It is led by Irfan Ahmed, a VCU computer science associate professor.
|
|
|
There’s no better way for students to learn cybersecurity than diving into a project. That’s the basis for the experiential learning CCI BattleDrones project held at Virginia Tech’s Drone Park this month. It included teams from George Mason University, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Western Community College. It was a truly collaborative effort with Virginia Tech students working on the drone kits and computer vision algorithms. There were crashes and technical difficulties. In other words, a great learning experience!
|
|
INNOVATE Cyber Student Showcase and Pitch Event
|
|
|
The INNOVATE Cyber program, which is funded by the CCI Coastal Virginia Node and led by Karen Sanzo, continues to be a spring highlight. Student teams identify cybersecurity challenges and work together to find solutions. Their creativity was on display last week at the annual showcase. I had the pleasure of attending that event and was extremely impressed by the creativity of the solutions and the team work involving a diverse group of 53 undergraduate students from 11 universities and community colleges.
|
|
Upcoming call for posters
|
|
|
CCI is proud to be hosting the annual summit of the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (VASEM) on Oct. 25 in Washington, D.C. Our theme is Securing the Future of Cyberspace. We’ll be asking faculty and students to pitch ideas for a poster session that’s geared toward a well-informed lay audience. Stay tuned for more information.
|
|
Virginia Military Institute teaching
high school students some
cyber defense moves
|
|
|
Virginia high school students are learning about cybersecurity through a paid internship program, thanks to the Virginia Military Institute. VMI cadets are working with the students on two projects. One project is about interconnected devices that we use at home and work. The other is an app to notify cadets about cyber events. The program was recently featured in a news story.
|
|
Presidential Award Nominee
|
|
Many of you have worked with CCI’s Executive Assistant Susie Kuliasha on our numerous projects and know firsthand that she is someone who gets things done. I’m proud to announce she was among 26 people nominated for a Virginia Tech President’s Award for Excellence. It’s team members like Susie who make CCI a great place to work but also help further our statewide mission.
Congratulations Susie!
|
|
|
Luiz DaSilva
Executive Director
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
