$2 million given to UM for cyber defense
By: Yann Ranaivo
Staff Reporter
Issue date: 1/18/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
For the next couple of years, The University of Memphis will receive $2 million of a $4 million grant by the Department of Homeland Security.
Vanderbilt University will be receiving the remaining $2 million.
DHS provided the grant to improve cyber defense training.
"No other universities got this recognition," said Dipankar Dasgupta, the program coordinator and a computer science professor.
Jan. 12, Eric Imsand was one of two technical staff at work in a third floor lab of the FedEx Institute of Technology.
Lab 324 at FIT is home to the center for information assurance. CFIA is the research and training center that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security granted funds to conduct research and training in cyber defense.
"We've sort of compiled a lot of expertise," Imsand said referring to The University's joint grant with Vanderbilt. "We are ideally qualified to be the experts."
With DHS funds, CFIA will train federal, state and local personnel in cyber defensive procedures.
CFIA technical staff at FIT has recently begun work, but Imsand said the training would not begin until the summer.
Meanwhile, CFIA has developed the content and sent it to Vanderbilt.
"We've just started the project," Imsand said. "This summer, they'll do the initial pre-testing."
Although the possibility of terrorist threats has been considered, Dasgupta said the goal of the training and research is to improve awareness and prevention against any online threats. He said threats include anything from hacking to phishing.
"Anybody who connects to the Internet needs to know basic security issues and practices," Dasgupta said.
Dasgupta has been doing research in computer network security for the past 10 years and noted a trend towards more skilled online scam artists.
Besides government officials, he said the program is also reaching towards business officials who have been common victims of cyber attacks in the past.
"Phishing is getting so sophisticated," Dasgupta said.
CFIA will also offer courses to students in the future, but the focus has been mainly government officials and business owners.
Most of the courses will be taught online.
Dasgupta and Imsand did not confirm whether the results of research will ever be used to help improve The University's own cyber defense but said it has always remained a possibility.
"We're attacked everyday," said Douglas Hurley, the vice president of information technology, referring to the amount of hackers who try to hack The University's system.
Hurley said The University's cyber defense system has been effective, but did not exclude the possibility of receiving assistance.
"Security is an onion of layers," he said. "And we take it very seriously."
Vanderbilt University will be receiving the remaining $2 million.
DHS provided the grant to improve cyber defense training.
"No other universities got this recognition," said Dipankar Dasgupta, the program coordinator and a computer science professor.
Jan. 12, Eric Imsand was one of two technical staff at work in a third floor lab of the FedEx Institute of Technology.
Lab 324 at FIT is home to the center for information assurance. CFIA is the research and training center that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security granted funds to conduct research and training in cyber defense.
"We've sort of compiled a lot of expertise," Imsand said referring to The University's joint grant with Vanderbilt. "We are ideally qualified to be the experts."
With DHS funds, CFIA will train federal, state and local personnel in cyber defensive procedures.
CFIA technical staff at FIT has recently begun work, but Imsand said the training would not begin until the summer.
Meanwhile, CFIA has developed the content and sent it to Vanderbilt.
"We've just started the project," Imsand said. "This summer, they'll do the initial pre-testing."
Although the possibility of terrorist threats has been considered, Dasgupta said the goal of the training and research is to improve awareness and prevention against any online threats. He said threats include anything from hacking to phishing.
"Anybody who connects to the Internet needs to know basic security issues and practices," Dasgupta said.
Dasgupta has been doing research in computer network security for the past 10 years and noted a trend towards more skilled online scam artists.
Besides government officials, he said the program is also reaching towards business officials who have been common victims of cyber attacks in the past.
"Phishing is getting so sophisticated," Dasgupta said.
CFIA will also offer courses to students in the future, but the focus has been mainly government officials and business owners.
Most of the courses will be taught online.
Dasgupta and Imsand did not confirm whether the results of research will ever be used to help improve The University's own cyber defense but said it has always remained a possibility.
"We're attacked everyday," said Douglas Hurley, the vice president of information technology, referring to the amount of hackers who try to hack The University's system.
Hurley said The University's cyber defense system has been effective, but did not exclude the possibility of receiving assistance.
"Security is an onion of layers," he said. "And we take it very seriously."