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 and skills of this important field.

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 Communications, Health and Human Services, Arts and Humanities, 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

Farag Invited Participant at Regional Cyber Hub Kick-Off Meeting

Waleed Farag, director of the IUP Institute for Cyber Security and professor of computer science, was recently invited to participate in the kick-off meeting for the newly formed Regional Cyber Hub.

Airport Cooperative Research Program Announces Graduate Research Awards

The Airport Cooperative Research Program is now accepting applications for the Graduate Research Award Program, which offers multiple benefits for students interested in research that addresses airport and related air transportation system needs.

Naval Surface Warfare Center Paid Internship Opportunity for STEM Students

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division is now accepting applications for the STEM Student Employment Program, which provides students with a paid internship and possibly tuition assistance.

Cybersecurity Symposium April 1

The Tri-County Workforce Investment Board and the Tri-County Technology Consortium will host the 2024 Cybersecurity Symposium on Monday, April 1.

Cybersecurity Team Places Fourth in National CAE-NE Hackathon

On Saturday, Feb. 17, 2023, the IUP Cybersecurity Team participated in the Nation Center of Academic Excellence – Northeast Cyber Competition and secured a fourth-place finish against 10 other cyber teams from US colleges and universities.

The 16th annual Cybersecurity Day was held on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. Please visit the CSD page for event details.

 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 in 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.