Auburn Is Working to Defend Our Cyberspace

Think you can pick out the false piece of information in the following paragraph?

We want to tell you about a professor at Auburn University. He’s helped develop malware analysis tools, he’s given numerous presentations at professional conferences, and he’s even appeared on CBS’s Sunday Morning and NPR’s “All Tech Considered.”

Well, this person has indeed developed complex antivirus software, entertained the masses, and made his television debut. But he’s not a professor — he’s actually a student. And #ItJustMeansMore because he’s been able to accomplish so much in so little time.

Software engineering major Matthew Rogers isn’t your typical college senior. In addition to having an already polished résumé, Rogers was recently named a Rhodes Scholar. Each year, only 32 students in the United States are afforded the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and Rogers plans to pursue his doctorate in cybersecurity there.

But first, he will moderate the lead session during the 2018 SEC Academic Conference on cybersecurity at Auburn. The conference will feature conversations on computer and communication technology; the economic and physical systems that are controlled by technology; and the policies and laws that govern and protect information stored, transmitted and processed with technology.

It’s no surprise that a student like Matthew comes from Auburn, since the university recently made improving its cybersecurity programs a top-priority. In addition to being one of 19 National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations designated by the National Security Agency (NSA), last fall Auburn was awarded a $4.7 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to help boost the number of workers in the cybersecurity field. The need for more industry professionals has become painfully obvious — high-profile data breaches are on the rise, as are the public’s concerns about how heavily we rely on computers.

Auburn’s program is part of a larger initiative called the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service and is run by the NSF. So, what is it? Aspiring cybersecurity guards get the chance to fund their education through scholarships and stipends. Upon graduation, they return the favor in the form of service to a government agency. Not a bad deal, if you ask us.

The Tigers have been longtime participants of the initiative. They plan to use their most recent grant to strengthen their numbers and focus more on recruiting students from underrepresented populations. All undergraduates and graduates have the chance to participate as long as they’re studying computer science, software engineering, wireless engineering, or electrical engineering.

David Umphress, the COLSA Corporation Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Professor, and Dean Hendrix, Director of the Auburn Cyber Research Center, oversee the program. As Umphress puts it, “We try to give students real-world, hands-on experience so they are able to perform cybersecurity functions by the time they graduate. Every summer, they have to participate in an internship at some type of public employment, such as the Department of Homeland Security, NSA, CIA, FBI, or places like that.”

Any of these places could be a future home for Matthew Rogers, who has accomplished quite a bit during his time at Auburn. Between his accomplishments and the increasing cybersecurity opportunities for students at the university, like the SEC Academic Conference, there’s no doubt that #ItJustMeansMore success for the school and more security for our nation.