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News | Events | Programs of Study | Cybersecurity Courses | Grants | Activities | Research | Resources | Personnel | About Cybersecurity

Mission

The Institute for Cyber Security is an interdisciplinary institute that promotes and encourages cybersecurity awareness and practice, both on campus and off, through teaching, research, and service activities to enhance people’s knowledge of and skills in this important field.

The 19th Annual Cyber Security Day at IUP will be held on October 13, 2026!

Visit the Cyber Security Day site for more details!

Cybersecurity is broadly defined to include information security, cyber forensics, data quality, data completeness, data accuracy, privacy, and other issues related to storing, transmitting, and sharing data and other information. The Institute involves faculty and students from the colleges of Business; Education and Human Services; Health Sciences; Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs; and Natural Sciences and Mathematics in the dissemination of knowledge, research, and service projects in the general area of cybersecurity. 

The Institute will affiliate itself with faculty and students at other institutions, such as community and other four-year colleges, to share resources and information in this field and promote the concept and practice of ensuring the security and integrity of information.

The Institute for Cyber Security annually secures hundreds of thousands of dollars of federally funded grants to support all of its activities. Moreover, ICS strives to establish leadership in cybersecurity by contributing to various national initiatives intended to improve the nation’s security posture through:

  • Producing qualified graduates in cybersecurity.
  • Securing and executing major federally funded projects.
  • Conducting state-of-the-art research in various security topics to contribute to the body of knowledge in this important area.
  • Offering cybersecurity camps to K-12 students and teachers to foster interest in the field at various school districts throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.
  • Providing “Training the Trainer” faculty professional development workshops in cybersecurity.
  • Partnering with other Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security to bolster the national program in cybersecurity.
  • Collaborating with companies in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and surrounding areas engaged in security research.
  • Providing internship opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in cybersecurity as they work with faculty research or community projects.
  • Increasing awareness of security and encouraging local companies to participate in security by arranging distinguished visitor seminars and sponsoring colloquia, conferences, and workshops in the area of cybersecurity.

News

BSides Cybersecurity Conference offered in Johnstown, Nov. 12

The BSides Flood City Cybersecurity Conference will be held at Penn Highlands Community College on Thursday, November 12.

  • 14 October 2026

Three Rivers Information Security Symposium to be Held October 22

The ninth annual Three Rivers Information Security Symposium (TRISS) will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Thursday, October 22.

  • 14 October 2026

IUP Cybersecurity Day Set for Oct. 13

Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Cybersecurity, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Community College Consortium Cooperative Agreement Project (PC4A) and Information Technology Support Center, will host the 19th annual Cybersecurity Day on Oct. 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the IUP Hadley Union Building Ohio Room.

  • 08 October 2026

Digital Trust Scholarship Applications Now Open

The Digital Trust Scholarship Program is now accepting applications for awards in January and February 2027. This scholarship is open to students worldwide who are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in a field related to IT audit, risk, cybersecurity, governance, or assurance.

  • 02 October 2026

Internship Applications Now Open at Guidepoint Security

Guidepoint Security is currently accepting applications for its spring 2026 internship program.

  • 02 October 2026

Programs of Study

IUP offers a BS in computer science/cybersecurity track and a minor in cybersecurity. The IUP cybersecurity curriculum is an NSA-validated Program of Study (PoS), and IUP is designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE). Scholarships and other unique opportunities are available to our students.

Activities

The Institute for Cyber Security, in collaboration with IT Services and other departments, actively promotes cybersecurity awareness throughout the year. Representative activities include Cyber Security Day, Cyber Security Club, National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Outreach to Community Colleges, and interdisciplinary roundtable discussions on issues of national cybersecurity.

Research and Student Work

Faculty affiliated with the Institute are actively involved in research in various cybersecurity, including IoT security, national cybersecurity strategy, intrusion detection, multimedia security, and cloud computing. Students in their studies complete several research papers and presentations on numerous cybersecurity topics.

Resources

The Institute for Cyber Security, together with the IUP Library and IT Support Services, provides links to numerous resources on cybersecurity and related fields.

  • Institute for Cyber Security
  • Stright Hall, Room 233
    210 South Tenth Street
     Indiana, PA 15705
  • Phone: 724-357-2608
  • Fax: 724-357-7908
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.