Texas A&M has received an award from the National Science Foundation to promote regional Cyber expertise in a multi-institution partnership led by PI Dhruva Chakravorty, Associate Director for User Services at Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing. TAMIDS Director Dr. Nick Duffield will serve as educational coordinator for CC* Team: SWEETER–SouthWest Expertise in Expanding, Training, Education and Research.
Texas A&M leads project advancing cybersecurity, energy efficiency in smart buildings
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting a Texas A&M University College of Engineering project to improve the cybersecurity and energy efficiency of commercial buildings.
The Securing Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings through Cyber Defense and Resilient System project, led by Dr. Zheng O’Neill, received $3.5 million from the DOE’s Building Technologies Office to research, develop and demonstrate a real-time advanced building-resilient platform through multi-layer prevention and adaption mechanisms.
Texas A&M’s partners on the three-year project include Raytheon Technologies Research Center, Drexel University, Arizona State University, Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory and Northwestern University.
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Local government officials staying ready for potential overseas cyber-attacks
Local officials are stressing cyber security after recent cyber-attacks on multiple state agencies. Governor Greg Abbott says the state is seeing nearly 10,000 cyber-attacks every minute from Iran. He says that because of this, everyone needs to remain diligent with online safety. “We want to make sure the state, as well as local governments, as well as the private sector, is going to be best prepared to deal with, and that is potential cyber terrorism as a result and by-product of the Iran situation,” said Governor Abbott.
[Read more…] about Local government officials staying ready for potential overseas cyber-attacks
Texas A&M Researchers receive $4.4M Department of Energy grant to enhance solar technology
Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available, and the U.S. has some of the richest solar resources in the world.
To support the progression of solar power, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it would provide $128 million in funding to advance solar technologies. Through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, the DOE will fund innovative research projects that will lower solar electricity costs, while working to boost solar manufacturing, reduce red tape and make solar systems more resilient to cyberattacks. Among the 75 teams to receive an award is a team led by Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station researchers. [Read more…] about Texas A&M Researchers receive $4.4M Department of Energy grant to enhance solar technology
Texas A&M University – Central Texas Awarded Cybersecurity Contract
The Department of Homeland Security and the United States Air Force have awarded a $4.2 million cybersecurity contract to Texas A&M University Central Texas and Texas A&M University, as announced in a press conference held Friday afternoon in the Bill Yowell Conference Center at Texas A&M University Central Texas.
The contract, which also includes Texas A&M University Engineering Experiment Station and CENTEX, Inc., is for four years and is for research purposes. The scope of the research is to protect cyber infrastructure against external manipulation of hardware and software, specifically for cyberattacks targeting communications of law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel; energy generation and water distribution; military defense and national infrastructure. [Read more…] about Texas A&M University – Central Texas Awarded Cybersecurity Contract
Texas A&M will lead network to support cyber expertise
By: Research @ Texas A&M
With a grant from the National Science Foundation, Texas A&M University will lead a multi-institution network to promote cyber expertise among research universities, community colleges, minority-serving institutions and other organizations in the southwestern United States.
The SWEETER (SouthWest Expertise in Expanding, Training, Education and Research) network will provide training and personnel to support and encourage collaboration across the invisible boundaries that often separate disciplines and institutions, said Dhruva Chakravorty, associate director for user services and research at Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing (HPRC). [Read more…] about Texas A&M will lead network to support cyber expertise
Computer science and engineering student wins $22K cybersecurity scholarship October 18, 2019
By: Stephanie Jones, Texas A&M University Engineering
Cody Williams, a senior computer science and engineering student at Texas A&M University, participated in the latest U.S. Cyber FastTrack competition where he made it to the finals and was awarded a $22,000 scholarship to attend the SANS Technology Institute’s undergraduate certificate program in applied cybersecurity.
U.S. Cyber FastTrack is an innovative nationwide competition that provides high-aptitude students with the practical cybersecurity training that employers demand. From April 5 to September 16, more than 13,000 students from across the United States competed to solve more than 250 cybersecurity challenges. The 100 finalists represented undergraduate and graduate students from 63 schools in 23 states. [Read more…] about Computer science and engineering student wins $22K cybersecurity scholarship October 18, 2019
NSF-funded leadership-class computing center boosts U.S. science with largest academic supercomputer in the world
By: National Science Foundation
Today, the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) launched Frontera, the fastest supercomputer at any university and the fifth most powerful system in the world. The system is the result of a $60 million investment by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance the next generation of leadership class computing.
Faculty at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at UT Austin are leading the world-class Frontera science applications and technology team, with partners from the California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Georgia Tech, Ohio State University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Texas A&M University, the University of Chicago, the University of Utah and the University of California, Davis. [Read more…] about NSF-funded leadership-class computing center boosts U.S. science with largest academic supercomputer in the world
Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center Director speaks at The Technical Skill Workshop
On Friday, September 27th, Dr. Danny Davis spoke at the Technical Skill Workshop, part of the three-day Tech to Protect Regional Codeathon Event. His topic was “The Importance of Software Development Experts Considering Cybersecurity Principles During the Development Process.” The event was designed to bring students, faculty, and public safety practitioners together to solve complex technology issues. The event theme was “Help Emergency Responders Nationwide Create Smart Solutions.”
Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center Assistant Director participates in Cybersecurity Panel at Brazos Valley Business Summit
On September 26, 2019, Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center Assistant Director, John Romero, participated in the “Mind the Gaps: Preventing Cyber Breaches at Your Business” panel at the Brazos Valley Business Summit. The panel centered around cybersecurity in small businesses and practical ways in which business owners can ensure that they are taking all of the right precautions to keep their data safe. “I was pleasantly surprised to see how engaged the small business owners and business leaders in our community were during the presentation, and they even told us that they wished they had more time with us,” said Romero. [Read more…] about Texas A&M Cybersecurity Center Assistant Director participates in Cybersecurity Panel at Brazos Valley Business Summit
Bush School Student Awarded Prestigious Scholarship for Service
Peter Casey, a member of the 2020 class in the Department of International Affairs, has been awarded a CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS), which supports undergraduate and graduate students studying cyber-related disciplines. SFS is a federal government program designed to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals, industrial control system security professionals, and security managers to meet the needs of the cybersecurity mission for federal, state, local, and tribal governments.
FBI director Wray spotlights Texas A&M’s cybersecurity efforts
By: Kenny Wiley
FBI Director Christopher Wray, in an appearance before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., earlier this week, praised the Texas A&M University System for its work to help other academic institutions with their cybersecurity efforts, and for its collaboration with the bureau on matters of national security.
Senators ask feds to investigate Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition for privacy concerns
By Kathleen Witte, KBTX
Adults who use devices like the Amazon Echo (Alexa) or Google Home in our places of residence generally know there’s a privacy concern–after all, the devices are listening for our cues. But now, a group of senators says children don’t have the same understanding, and they have greater legal protections.
Energy And Cybersecurity: What A Difference A Decade Makes…
By Forbes
While it’s hard to ascertain what event represented the tipping point on the perception that cybersecurity issues in the energy industry are serious, that is indeed the case today. After Stuxnet, Shamoon, WannaCry, NotPetya, and a host of other incidents, commercial firms and government are unable to keeps their heads in the sand on the cybersecurity issue. This was one of the key lessons to emerge from a recent Cybersecurity in Energy Symposium at the University of Houston.
BTHO Cyberthreats
By Spirit Magazine
How Texas A&M University is preparing its students to tackle issues of cybersecurity.
Texas A&M engineering students named SC Awards Student of the Year finalists
By: Deana Totzke, Texas A&M Engineering
Two students affiliated with the Texas A&M University College of Engineering have been named finalists in the 2019 SC Awards for exemplary professional leadership in cybersecurity. Philip Smith and Casey Stephens were named Student of the Year finalists in the Professional Award category of the SC Awards.
Texas A&M Researchers Land DOE Grant to Improve U.S. Cybersecurity
By: Deana Totzke, Texas A&M University College of Engineering
Among the 11 teams to receive a U.S. Department of Energy award is a team from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) led by Dr. Kate Davis.
The nation’s energy infrastructure has become a major target of cyberattacks over the past decade, with more frequent and sophisticated attacks on the rise. Today, a cyber incident has the potential to disrupt energy services, damage highly specialized equipment, and threaten human health and safety. This makes energy cybersecurity a top national priority that will require the federal government and the energy sector to work together to reduce cyber risks that could trigger a large-scale or prolonged energy disruption. [Read more…] about Texas A&M Researchers Land DOE Grant to Improve U.S. Cybersecurity
Texas A&M Engineering Student Recognized by Microsoft Security Response Center for Security Vulnerability
In December 2018, the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) recognized Texas A&M Engineering student, Zachary Ratliff, for helping make Microsoft online services safer by finding and reporting a security vulnerability. Ratliff privately disclosed a security vulnerability in Microsoft’s online services and worked with them to remediate the issue.
A Privacy Filter For Smart Camera Applications
By: Savanna Hoover, Texas A&M University College of Engineering
Smart devices are integrating into our workspaces and homes, providing convenient features such as security cameras, temperature control, motor games and more. Smart devices often have cameras that transmit data to the cloud. The cloud uses analytics to recognize different actions and sends data back to the device. Recently these smart cameras have come under public scrutiny for creating hacking opportunities that infiltrate the privacy of the home. A balance must therefore be reached to protect the security of the user and maintain optimal performance of the device’s functionality.
Texas A&M University researcher Zhangyang Wang, along with his two doctoral students, Zhenyu Wu and Haotao Wang, have partnered with Adobe Research scientists Dr. Zhaowen Wang and Dr. Hailin Jin to find new ways to protect user privacy from video-enabled in-home devices. The collaboration with Adobe began in September 2017. [Read more…] about A Privacy Filter For Smart Camera Applications
Students excel at national cybersecurity competition
By: Rachel Rose
Four undergraduate students in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University placed third in the national Embedded Security Challenge, which was part of the International Cyber Security Awareness Worldwide (CSAW) competition. [Read more…] about Students excel at national cybersecurity competition
