Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to join CWIT and  STEMRules for a lunch event to hear from and network with diverse professionals from across the cybersecurity industry.

Wanted: One Million IT Security Specialists by 2018

You Could be One of Them

12-1:30pm Friday, 2 December 2016
Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery (1st floor)
Lunch will be provided

RSVP: Please respond by December 1, 2016

UMBC CWIT and STEMRules host cyber professionals from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors who will relate their personal/professional journeys, answer questions and be available for networking. Speakers  will include the following individuals:

• Veda Woods  is an executive at an undisclosed Fortune 500 financial institution, a member of multiple boards and the executive director of the International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals.
• William McBorrough is a second-generation engineer is the founder and Managing Director of Washington, DC-based McGlobalTech and an information security and risk management consultant.
• Pamela E. Carbajal is a Cyber Security Compliance and Policy Analyst, Senior Consultant, at Booz Allen Hamilton, a global management and technology consulting and engineering services firm.
• Mahalakshmi “Maha” Venkataraman is a Senior Manager in the Software Engineering unit, and the technology lead for the anti-money laundering investigation team at Capital One, a major bank holding company.
• Lisa Jiggetts is the founder of the Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women to succeed in the cybersecurity field. She is a also a freelance mobile security consultant.

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UMBC CSEE Seminar Series

Genetic ancestry predicts striatal dopamine D2 receptors

Dr. Corinde Wiers
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD

1-2pm Friday, 2 December 2016, ITE 229, UMBC

Genetic ancestry was recently found to be associated with cortical geometry, cortical surface, and total brain volume in humans. Despite ethnic differences in allele frequency in dopaminergic genes associated with dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability (D2R), no study to date has investigated the relationship between genetic ancestry and striatal D2R. Here, we show that genetic informative markers significantly predict dorsal striatal D2R in 117 healthy ethnically diverse residents of the New York metropolitan area using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with [11C]raclopride, while correcting for age, sex, BMI, education years, and estimated socioeconomic status based on individuals’ ZIP codes. Striatal D2R may thus be modulated by genetic ancestry, although differences in environmental factors between ethnic groups could mediate these effects. Findings may have implications for pharmacological treatment targeting D2R, such as antipsychotic D2R antagonists.

Corinde Wiers, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in the Laboratory of Neuroimaging of Nora D. Volkow, M.D. After her studies in Psychology and Psychobiology at the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Sussex University (UK) in 2010, she completed her PhD in Psychology at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain and Free University Berlin (Germany) in 2014, where she investigated neural underpinnings of automatic approach behavior to alcohol cues, and neural effects of behavioral trainings in patients with alcohol use disorder. The main goal of Dr. Wiers’ research is to understand cognitive, neurobiological and (epi)genetic processes involved in drug addiction, using functional MRI, PET, psychophysics and molecular techniques. She currently works on how peripheral epigenetic markers relate to brain functioning in drug addiction and other psychiatric disorders. Further research interests include the neurobiology of sleep, effects of sleep deprivation, comorbidities of sleep and substance use disorders, and how neuroimaging techniques can be of use for treatment in psychiatry.

Host: Tulay Adali

About the CSEE Seminar Series: The UMBC Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering presents technical talks on current significant research projects of broad interest to the Department and the research community. Each talk is free and open to the public. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future talks.

Organizers: Tulay Adali and Alan Sherman

The post talk: Genetic ancestry predicts striatal dopamine D2 receptors, 1pm Dec 2, ITE229 appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

CHMPR Distinguished Lecturers Series

The Need for Speed

Dr. Phyllis A. Schneck

Deputy Under Secretary of Cybersecurity
Department of Homeland Security

3:30pm Thursday, 1 December 2016, UC 310
3:00pm Coffee, tea, and cookies

As computers get faster, they change the world. Processors get smaller, the number of devices with processors gets bigger, and the amount of information that can be produced and transported grows exponentially. Everything on the planet, unless one can eat it, is likely to have electronic logic within – and, most recently, to be connected to other devices. Our way of life and critical infrastructures, from power and water to finance is enabled by this ability to process light, and transport information at that speed. The speed of computing is enabling new conveniences and capabilities, and furthering science in directions never before imagined from DNA studies to particle physics. This amazingly connected world, however, introduces new vulnerabilities as many connected devices were not designed to be safe from unauthorized access and use. We must pay special attention to protecting infrastructure components such as information and the intricate signaling systems that generate and distribute electricity. This requires specialized algorithms to mine the masses of data to recognize normal internet activity from potential threat indicators. The goal is to create a more self-healing network, accomplishing with information what nature does with biological responses – creating an electronic immune system. Cognitive computing can provide groundbreaking results in data mining and analysis that will enhance the Cybersecurity to protect the other applications such as genomic and physics research. Software and hardware developers need to work together to create the algorithms and custom hardware to minimize heat, maximize computation and, finally, create a secure design.

We can use the speed of computing to enhance Cybersecurity as well – thus the paradox of the need for speed to protect itself.

Dr. Phyllis Schneck is the Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity & Communications with the Department of Homeland Security, where she is also the Chief Cybersecurity Official. Previously held positions include Chief Technology Officer for Global Public Sector, McAfee, Inc.; VP of Enterprise Services, eCommSecurity; and VP of Corporate Strategy for SecureWorks, Inc. Schneck earned her Ph.D. in computer science from Georgia Tech and pioneered the field of info security and security-based high-performance computing at Georgia Tech. She holds seven information security patents and has six research publications in the areas of info security, real-time systems, telecom and software engineering.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP to Michelle Bobovych at *protected email* to ensure we have a sufficient number of chairs.

The post talk: Dr. Phyllis Schneck (DHS) on The Need for Speed in Cybersecurity appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

The CS Education student org, with support from the CS Matters in Maryland CS education project, is planning UMBC’s first-ever Hour of Code event. Hour of Code is an initiative that organizes hands-on learning experiences for students of all ages during CS Education Week (December 5-11, 2016, coinciding with Admiral Grace Hopper’s birthday).

UMBC’s Hour of Code will offer a hands-on experience for anybody who wants to try their hand at coding, December 7 and 8 from 11am-2pm on Main Street. We will have several special guests on Thursday — some students from Lakeland Elementary School will learn to code along with President Freeman Hrabowski from 11am-noon that day.

We need many volunteers to help make this event a success! Although coding experience is useful, it is NOT necessary! We will have training events in advance of the event for everyone who volunteers, and we also have some no-coding-required jobs as well, including running a Makey Makey activity and helping out with the elementary school students.

Please sign up to volunteer. Stephanie Milani (Psychology major / CS minor) is organizing the volunteer effort — please feel free to contact her if you have any questions at *protected email*

The post UMBC Hour of Code, 11-2 Dec 7-8, Main Street appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

UMBC’s Professor Marie desJardins was quoted recently in a TechRebublic article on the possible risks of adding more autonomy to weapons used by police and the military. The article focused on the novel use of a remotely controlled bomb-disposal robot by Dallas police to kill the suspect involved in the shooting of police officers. Although it was manually controlled by police officers, its use raised concerns about future devices that expected to have the capacity for independent decision making and actions.

Marie desJardins, AI professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, agrees with Yampolskiy. “The real challenge will come when we start to put more autonomy into drones and assault robots. I don’t think that we should be building weapons that can, of their own accord, decide who to kill, and how to kill,” said desJardins.

“I think those decisions always need to be made by people—not just by individual people, but by processes in military organizations that have safeguards and accountability measures built into the process,” she said.

These issues were addressed by a recent series of workshops sponsored by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to learn more about the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence.

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense
Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Solving Mathematical Problems in Quantum Regime

Omar Shehab

2:00pm Thursday, 7 July 2016, ITE 325b

In this dissertation, I investigate a number of algorithmic approaches in quantum computational regime to solve mathematical problems. My problems of interest are the graph isomorphism and graph automorphism problems, and the complexity of memory recall of Hopfield network. I show that the hidden subgroup algorithm, quantum Fourier sampling, always fails, to construct the automorphism group for the class of the cycle graphs. I have discussed what we may infer for a few non-trivial classes of graphs from this result. This raises the question, which I have discussed in this dissertation, whether the hidden subgroup algorithm is the best approach for these kinds of problems. I have given a correctness proof of the Hen-Young quantum adiabatic algorithm for graph isomorphism for cycle graphs. To the best of my knowledge, this result is the first of its kind. I also report a proof-of-concept implementation of a quantum annealing algorithm for the graph isomorphism problem on a commercial quantum annealing device. This is also, to the best of my knowledge, the first of its kind. I have also discussed the worst-case for the algorithm. Finally, I have shown that quantum annealing helps us achieve exponential capacity for Hopfield networks.

Committee: Drs. Samuel J Lomonaco Jr. (Chair), Milton Halem, Yanhua Shih, William Gasarch and John Dorband

On June 14, the Democratic National Committee announced that its computer system had been hacked. Rick Forno, director of UMBC’s graduate program in cybersecurity and assistant director of the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity, discussed the “ongoing process” of stopping such attacks during a long-form discussion segment on the WOSU Radio’s “All Sides” show.

Forno made clear that there is no single, permanent solution to thwarting cyber threats, and a single mistake or vulnerability can have a major impact on digital security.. “All it takes is one person who does something wrong”—opening an email or plugging in a thumb-drive containing malware—“to place the entire organization at risk,” he says.

Forno also focused on the challenge of educating people about how to practice safe computing, and turning those practices into regular habits. The issues that arise with computing are as much human-based as they are technology-based, he suggests, plus, “You attack one problem and three more pop up the next day.”

To understand how a hack happened and to prevent hackers from taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the future, Forno suggests collecting and analyzing “artifacts” of the attack—things the hackers left behind—and heightening ongoing monitoring of key systems, approaches the DNC is likely now taking.

The UMBC Training Center will hold an online webinar 11:00-11:40am on Thursday, 30 June 2016 about its new, live online versions of its Certificate in Cyber Foundations and our Certificate in Cybersecurity. Each of the courses is comprised of a bundle of classes designed propel you through the training needed to reach specific career and skill-level goals.

This program provides candidates with the skills, knowledge, and credentials required to successfully begin a career in Information Technology and be poised to begin the training necessary to enter the Cybersecurity field. To earn the Certificate in Cyber Foundations, students will be guided through these three courses: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+. Each of these courses will prepare you for respective CompTIA Certificate Exams and includes exam vouchers.

The nationally recognized cybersecurity programs at UMBC Training Centers were designed in collaboration with senior executives from Fortune 500 companies and well-known government agencies and teach highly focused skills through practical experience as well as UMBC Training Centers’ signature Rapid Applied Learning approach.

Register for the webinar here.

Google will fund travel grants to the 2016 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference (GHC) which takes place in Houston, Oct 19-21, 2016. The GHC is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists and offers many valuable resources to students and academics alike, from a Student Opportunity Lab to tracks specifically designed to educate and inspire faculty. Its career fair, one of the largest in the U.S., earns a 97% satisfaction rate from our student survey respondents.

University students and industry professionals in the US and Canada who are excelling in computing and passionate about supporting women in tech can apply for a travel grant to attend the 2016 Grace Hopper conference. Sponsorship includes: conference registration, round trip flight to Houston, TX, arranged hotel accommodations from October 18-22, $75 USD reimbursement for miscellaneous travel costs and a fun social event with your fellow travel grant recipients on one of the evenings of the conference.

Apply by Sunday, July 10 using this online form. The Grace Hopper Travel Grant recipients will be announced by July 27th.

In 2009 a small group took shape at UMBC. A student-run club composed of individuals who shared one common interest: computer and network security. They would meet weekly and discuss the latest cyber-security topics happening and even compete at a national security event, known as the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC). Officially, the UMBC Cyber Defense Team was born, but the group would also come to be known as the UMBC Cyber Dawgs.

Founding member Jorge Teixeira recounted what the early days of the UMBC Cyber Defense Team were like. “The idea started from Jeff Miller, who talked to Prof. John Pinkston,” said Teixeira, “I was sitting in [his lab] when they met to scout for a meeting room/lab.” At the time, Teixeira had done some security research for his MS and had a networking background and wanted to help Miller on what he could.

“We wanted to become an official SGA org but there was a lot of bureaucracy and delays involved, so that didn’t happen right away.” said Teixeira. In Fall 2010, the group competed in CCDC qualifications and went to regionals in mid Spring 2010, boosting the popularity of the group and finally becoming recognized by the SGA by late Fall 2010.

Teixeira also revealed the origins of the name Cyber Dawgs. “The name was coined by Dr. Nicholas in one of our early meetings with him, but the official name was and is UMBC Cyber Defense Team.” Said Teixeira.

“There are no limitations whatsoever with this group.”

Today, the Cyber Dawgs are still around and continue to compete at competitions like the CCDC. They have two faculty advisors, Dr. Charles Nicholas and Dr. Richard Forno, who take a hands off approach to let the club be student run. However, they do help with the logistics of the club and help provide necessary resources.

Bryan Vanek, Computer Science major and Cyber Dawgs club President, runs the day to day operations. While the majority of the group consists of STEM majors, Vanek doesn’t want the Cyber Dawgs to be limited to just people in the security or the computer science field. He actively encourages anyone who has an interest in some area of cybersecurity and a willingness to learn to join the group. “There are no limitations whatsoever with this group.” Vanek said, “We’ll be more than happy to help you along the way!”

Preparing for the yearly CCDC competition is a huge undertaking. The competition focuses on aspects of information assurance and system security, where teams are given a commercial system that they need to protect. In order to do this, security checklists are looked over and good security practices, such as firewall rules and permissions are implemented.

During the competition, a ‘red team’ will attack their system in order to compromise it. Cyber Dawgs have to react in real time, not only trying to close off their connection but cleaning up any damage the red team has done to prevent it from happening again. They have to achieve all of this while keeping any and all required services of that system up.

2015 CCDC

This year, the Cyber Dawgs placed fourth at regionals and the year before that they received first place at regionals, which let them move on to the national competition in Texas where they placed fourth overall.

“As long as people have a desire to learn security, we will be there to support them.”

Anh Ho, a junior Computer Science major and Vice President of Cyber Dawgs, helps plan meetings and events in addition to helping other club members prepare technically for competitions. It’s his 4th year in the club and will be his 3rd year competing. He also helps avoid some of the pitfalls they’ve had in the past when dealing with both club and competition logistics. “These can be simple logistical oversights such as failure to request T-Shirts from SGA [to] technical configurations and what we should do the following year to learn from our mistakes.” said Ho.

He also shares Vanek’s passion in supporting people who take an interest in security. “As long as people have a desire to learn security, we will be there to support them.” said Ho.

Other competitions include cyber Capture the Flags (CTFs). These events can last anywhere between a day or a week with a focus on cyber security as a whole. Some CTFs are more focused on red team activities, such as a reverse engineering and web exploitation. Other CTFs focus on defensive mechanics, like analyzing forensic data and implementing strong security practices on servers.

This is the lab where the Cyber Dawgs use to practice for competitions. From left to right: Julio Valcarcel, Anthony Sasadeusz, Anh Ho, Jorge Teixeira.

Recently, the group participated in UMD’s Cyber Skyline CTF and Booz Allen Hamilton’s Kaizen CTF. “In these competitions, we usually do pretty well,” said Vanek, “we received first place either by an individual or by a team.”

“One of our other missions is to spread the word about how awesome the world of cyber security is…”

The Cyber Dawgs aren’t strictly about competitions. Vanek said, “If we just did [competitions] a lot of new people would get deterred. Thus one of our other missions is to spread the word about how awesome the world of cyber security is by teaching others in whatever way we can.”

During regular club meetings, the group has a large selection of activities that people can choose from to learn more about cyber security. These activities change depending on the semester, so in the Fall the activities are focused more on prepping for CTFs while the Spring semester focuses on CCDC by setting up servers and learning about firewall rules.

Christian Beam, a junior studying Computer Science and serving as club treasurer mentioned how not all meetings are just preparing for competitions. “Some meetings we have guest speakers from the industry to give talks about topics such as reverse engineering, or cryptography.” said Beam.

This image is from a tech talk with the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. After the meeting, the firm networked with attendees and even accepted resumes for internship and job positions.

The Cyber Dawgs try to reach as many people as possible, whether that involves letting people know about their club meetings through their list serve or attending involvement fest and networking with other groups and clubs that share an interest in cyber security. They reach out to groups like the UMBC Cyber Scholars group to let them know about meetings and encouraging them to get involved.

Chris Gardner joined the Cyber Dawgs in his freshmen year at UMBC in 2014. “I’ve been interested in cyber security for a few years now and was the president of my high school’s security club, so joining the Cyber Dawgs seemed like a natural progression.” said Gardner.

He now helps lead the group in cyber CTFs and has learned a lot about cyber security since he’s been with the group.

The Cyber Dawgs are now working on quite a few projects for the upcoming school year. They plan to update their website with new tools and resources for current and future members. In addition to that, they plan on getting a coach for the CCDC to help them in structure and to show their weak points.

“…great way to give people who are new to cyber security another way to learn.”

In the future, the group wants to host their own CTF event right at UMBC. Vanek said, “This is not only a fun project that we’ve been wanting to do for a while, but it will be a great way to give people who are new to cyber security another way to learn.”

Vanek is proud to be president of the Cyber Dawgs, and is looking forward to all their goals and future as an organization. “I can’t begin to thank everyone enough for all that I’ve learned so far from our experiences together,” Vanek said, “and I truly look forward to what we’re all going to be able to accomplish together in these next few years.”

From left to right: Zack Orndorff, Chris Gardner, Josh Domangue, Julio Valcarcel, Jake Rust, Anh Ho, Christian Beam, Tyler Campbell

For more information, you can check out the Cyber Dawgs through their website.

The Cyber Dawgs send out most of their information through the use of their list server. Just send an email to umbccd-subscribe @lists.umbc.edu using your UMBC email address.

You can also chat with members as well by joining their slack channel using for your UMBC email.