DARPA funding to help develop master’s degree program for AI applications in computer security
It takes a very good thief in order to catch one.
In 1788, Eugene Francois Vidocq stole the silver plates of his wealthy father in Arras. This began a career of crime which led to dozens of heists and several thrilling prison escapes. was also the inspiration for the fiction by Victor Hugo and Edgar Allan Poe.
The story also caught the interest of Yan Shoshitaishvili.
Because the cybersecurity expert knows how the story ends.
Vidocq, at the age of 30 and after a year spent hiding in his mother’s house, made a decision that would change history. He decided to stop fighting the authorities and instead join them. Vidocq, with the blessing of Napoleon’s, created the Surete. Later, it was reformed, and renamed Police Nationale. It became the official law enforcement force of France. He personally trained criminals, which led to a dramatic reduction in crime in Paris.
Shoshitaishvili teaches computer science and engineering at Arizona State University’s School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence. This school is part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. He is also the associate director for workforce development for ASU’s Centre for Cybersecurity and Tried Foundations.
The U.S. government has awarded him and his CTF team a $4.5 million grant over two years. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has established an institute to educate the next generation in cybersecurity professionals.
The CTF team, with funding from DARPA and ASU’s Global Security Initiative has established the American Cybersecurity Education Institute or ACE Institute. Shoshitaishvili was inspired by Vidocq’s story and ethos when he considered how the new organization should function.
An old problem with a new solution
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has stated that cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure are one of the country’s greatest strategic risks. The Department of Homeland Security said that cybersecurity threats against critical infrastructure is one of the greatest strategic risks for the United States. Internet Crime Report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation charts the alarming growth of cybercrime. It notes a record number of reports in 2023, with $12.5 billion reported in financial losses.
But, in the field of computer science, cybersecurity education presents a unique set challenges.
Shoshitaishvili explains that to learn how to write a computer program, one must simply learn to do so. “But in order to hack a computer program, you need to know how it works better than its creators, so that you can exploit their mistakes.”
Shoshitaishvili, who is a cybersecurity expert, believes that it’s best to teach professionals to think like criminals.
Some of this work was already underway at the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence.
Adam Doupe is a Fulton Schools Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering and CTF Director; Connor Nelson is a CTF Staff Software Engineer; and Shoshitaishvili created pwn.college – a unique combination between an educational curriculum, a competition practice environment, and a set communication tools to help the students learn collaboratively.
On the pwn.college website, cybersecurity student from around the globe completes programming modules and takes part in hacking exercises. This gives them a real insight into the way attackers gain access to secured systems.
Shoshitaishvili is aiming to expand on this applied approach in the ACE Institute.
Students attend a hackathon during DEF CON, a convention held annually in Las Vegas. The new ACE Institute will make it a priority to have students participate in events such as these, where they hack computer systems in order to better understand their security. Photo courtesy Shellphish Support Syndicate
Train the best to meet today’s toughest challenges
Shoshitaishvili’s team identified two areas where the ACE Institute should focus: preparing students for the toughest challenges in cybersecurity and recruiting enough students so that the pipeline of future jobs is filled.
The pressing issue is to ensure that students today have the knowledge and skills needed to perform in the most advanced roles.
Shoshitaishvili explains that when undergraduates leave the school, they are thrust into an environment which is extremely complex. “They have to outthink cybercriminals who may even be state actors. Successfully attacking a system can be their livelihood. These people are extremely motivated.”
In order to combat this problem, the ACE Institute will create a master’s in cybersecurity. The School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence will begin accepting students for the degree in 2025-26.
Shoshitaishvili, along with his team, will create a curriculum for the new degree program that will require students to successfully complete a number real-world exercises and numerous advanced courses. Students pursuing a master’s degree will be trained to hack complex systems using the pwn.college method. This will allow them to beat cybercriminals in their own game. They will also learn how to create AI and machine learning applications that can be used in security systems.
Students attend the Spring 2024 Fulton Schools Graduation Ceremony. The ACE Institute, with the help of DARPA’s grant, will create a master’s in cybersecurity. Students are expected to enroll in the program in 2025. Photographer: Kelly deVos/ASU
Recruiting tomorrow’s best for today
The ACE Institute will then partner with universities in other parts of the country. Dakota State University (DSU) will be a founding member of the initiative. DSU, located in Madison, South Dakota is one of ten institutions in the United States to have received all three National Centers of Academic Excellence designations. Department of Homeland Security.
Joel Wohnoutka is the executive director of DSU’s Applied Research Lab. He says his team will be inspired by the pwn.college initiative as part of its ongoing efforts to increase participation in cybersecurity education.
“We are looking to partner up with the ACE Institute in order to ensure that our courses are hands-on, and provide options for a variety of learning styles,” says Wohnoutka. She adds that they plan to utilize institute resources to create college credit course options.
Shoshitaishvili is excited about the partnership, citing DSU’s successful track record in running cybersecurity workshops for students in middle school and recruiting students from historically underserved groups.
Wohnoutka says that DSU has expanded its CybHER Outreach Program to include an after-school programming for elementary school students. This is part of a larger effort to expose young people to computer science early and to diversify the pool potential learners.
ACE Institute partners are working together to implement standards for cybersecurity education and to fill the pipeline of jobs with quality graduates. Around 750,000 cybersecurity positions are vacant in the U.S.
Ross Maciejewski is the director of the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence. He says that the new Institute will prepare graduate students to take on leadership roles and boost recruitment efforts for future students.
Maciejewski explains that the ACE Institute is a continuation of the school’s efforts in creating a home for excellence and innovation in cybersecurity education. “The new venture will also further efforts in establishing both the university and state of Arizona as hubs for innovation within this area.”