SFS (Scholarship Track): Renewal: An Interdisciplinary Information Assurance Curriculum

Suny At Buffalo, Amherst NY

Investigators

Abstract

University at Buffalo (UB) - The State University of New York is supporting four additional cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students in Information Assurance (IA) as a continuation of their existing Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program. A unique feature of this program is the interdisciplinary approach by the departments of computer science & engineering, mathematics and management sciences, and the law school with the goal of driving students to become successful INFOSEC problem solvers. It is planned to develop a broad-based IA program by considering security of smartphones, computer forensics and security and privacy of social networks at both undergraduate and graduate levels. By taking advantage of the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum, the program will educate cybersecurity specialists in both technical and managerial tracks under one umbrella. UB has 15 NSTISSI 4011 & 4013-accredited IA courses which form the basis of a certificate that is a requirement for all IA scholars in addition to their basic academic degrees. UB being a Center of Academic Excellence in IA Research also provides unique opportunities for the research project which is a part of the certificate. The project is having an immediate impact on cybersecurity capabilities of the federal workforce by providing highly qualified IA professionals trained in an interdisciplinary setting. The PIs have worked with community colleges in the region and conducted several cyber security awareness workshops. In order to help increase the diversity of IA professionals in the Federal workforce, this program is placing emphasis on recruiting women students and members of other underrepresented groups. Several minority students have interned in this program and several others have graduated with IA training. This SFS project involves the participation of Erie Community College and Genesee Community College.