- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates Computer Science Educators

John Hill — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 15:23:59 +0000

It’s Computer Science Education Week, an annual call to celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners in the field. We are highlighting our innovative Department of Computer Science with an in-depth interview with Dr. Albert Baker, chair and professor since 2018. What is the current state of the department? We currently have 210 undergraduate majors, of which 46 are pursuing our new cybersecurity degree program. We also have 35 students in the MS in Computer Science program. When I started, we only had nine. We also have 15 doctoral students. With this growth in our graduate programs, we’ll see more of our graduate students moving on to academic as well as industry careers. With the initiatives we are undertaking to develop and promote our interactive immersive technologies (AR/VR) programs, I think we will begin to see solid growth in that area as well. What kind of opportunities are available in the department? Our programs open opportunities on two career paths. One is software developer, which is a pretty broad area that includes�� programming, software design, performance testing, quality assurance, etc. We also have a game option. The game industry is very competitive, but the skills our students get are applicable in interactive immersive technologies (AR/VR) applications in education and training, medical applications, and industrial design. There are an increasing number of opportunities for our students in this emerging area. We have much to highlight in this emerging area of interactive immersive technologies. The Emerging Analytics Center has fabulous facilities for hands-on development and research in that area. Drs. Ivan Conde, Arya Basu, and Jan Springer all have expertise in this area. This is an area of strength for the department, and I am happy about the opportunities that we provide students. I tell prospective students and their parents that we have good opportunities in interactive immersive technologies, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, mobile applications, user interface and user experience, and computer graphics/data visualization. If a student has an interest in any of these areas, this is a great place to study. The opportunities for undergraduate students are particularly noteworthy because we have funded positions for students to work on grant funded research as well as industry projects. Those kinds of opportunities for undergraduate students are rare at other universities. How has the department changed since you started? Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira, former director of the Emerging Analytics Center and former chair of the Department of Computer Science, asked me to develop a stronger sense of community in the department, particularly with undergraduate students. We restored the charter for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery. The ACM is the largest professional society for computing professionals. The dhapter is very active. One of their impactful service projects has been the program to refurbish donated computers and make them available at no cost to students through the COVID pandemic. They have placed over 90 machines repairing hard drives, reinstalling operating systems, and handing out computers to students who needed them. We have continued to innovate the department’s curriculum. In computer science, things are constantly changing. We’ve added courses accessible by students outside our department. For example, we will now have in the catalog a sophomore-level course that is an introduction to machine learning using a no-code environment. This means students who have no coding experience can take the course. One of the most important changes in the department has been the new degree in cybersecurity and some very important industry partnerships. Why has your department taken a lead in promoting cybersecurity education? We’ve been very strategic in the way we’ve laid a foundation for cybersecurity. Huge credit goes to Drs. Philip Huff and Erin Finzer for the creation of CyberLearn. (��Vlog��ý Little Rock received a $1.96 million workforce development grant from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development in the spring to form the Cyber Learning Network, a consortium of seven University of Arkansas System campuses to expand and diversify workforce education in emergent cyber technologies.) With CyberLearn, we are implementing a resource and course sharing network between the partner campuses. For example, if a ��Vlog��ýPB student needs to take a cybersecurity course this summer that is not being offered on that campus, they can register for that ��Vlog��ýPB course, pay ��Vlog��ýPB tuition fees, and actually take the course offered here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In addition, with the addition of the National Cyber Teaching Academy funded, in part, by a grant from the NSA, we are training high school teachers so they can teach cybersecurity in Arkansas high schools. The State of Arkansas is requiring one credit in computer science as a graduation requirement for all students starting with the Fall 2023 freshman class. Cybersecurity is one of the ADE-approved computer science pathways meeting this requirement. We have a partnership with cyber industry leader and have really good outreach to the cyber industry in Arkansas. I’m excited about the holistic strategic approach we are taking with cybersecurity training and workforce development. What is coming up for the future of the computer science department? Certainly, cybersecurity will continue to grow and progress rapidly. We are also receiving tremendous feedback on our interactive immersive technologies initiatives. The Emerging Analytics Center (EAC) has been recognized as one of the top AR/VR research and development labs in the country. Between the EAC and the Cyber Arena, we are offering students opportunities unique in the State of Arkansas and beyond. What else would you like to add? I’m proud of the way the department office is running now. Chris Thompson (administrative assistant III) has been fantastic. I would also give a shoutout to Seth Cook who has worked as a GA in the office for the last three years and maintains our social media presence and department website. We are now much more organized and efficient through their efforts. Being in Arkansas has been a productive place to work in that I’ve had an opportunity to meet people at levels that I wouldn’t have had access to in larger states. Lee Watson, CEO, Forge Institute, and Bill Yoder, Executive Director of , are at the top of the list. They are doing tremendous work. Tina Moore and Kelly Griffith at the Arkansas Department of Education are also great to work with. These are just some of the talented Arkansans I’ve had opportunities to work with. The Industrial Advisory Board of the department is proving to be a tremendous asset as well�� and providing excellent guidance to me and the department. Brian Stack, Chief Scientist & Cofounder, LeapXL, chairs our advisory board. I appreciate the leadership he is providing. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the State of Arkansas are proving to be fertile places to develop innovative, state-of-the-art programs and initiatives in the computing sciences that will help us develop a future-ready workforce. I genuinely appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to serve the Department, College, University, and State of Arkansas.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Partnership with Forge Institute, ASBTDC Will Help Small Businesses Combat Cybersecurity Threats

John Hill — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 13:34:04 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock cybersecurity faculty members and students are partnering with the Forge Institute and the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, based at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, on a project that will help small businesses fight cybersecurity threats. The project is funded by a nearly $1 million grant the Forge Institute received from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The funding will enable Forge Institute to expand its services from the Arkansas Cyber Defense Center (ACDC) to assist Arkansas small businesses to better combat cybersecurity threats, expand training for cybersecurity services, and address other operational cybersecurity challenges. “Our team is excited to receive support from the SBA, which will allow us to further develop capabilities in the Arkansas Cyber Defense Center to engage, train, and assess cybersecurity risks for Arkansas’ small businesses,” said Scott Anderson, executive director of Forge Institute. “Developing cyber resiliency within our small business community is vital to supporting and growing the economic lifeblood of our state.” A key component of the ACDC is to provide work-based learning experiences for Arkansas students. Up to eight interns will be hired for a paid internship from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. “The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cybersecurity Lab is excited to continue our years’ long collaboration with Forge Institute and support the ACDC by providing students for paid internships to assist in the delivery of cybersecurity awareness training and outreach services,” said Dr. Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “As a research partner with the Consortium for Cyber Innovation, it’s exciting to see opportunities for our students to immediately apply their knowledge for the benefit of Arkansas.” The ACDC will also conduct 260 assessments for at least 130 small businesses during the course of the first year. Joint awareness campaigns and training will be conducted by Forge Institute in collaboration with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center and academic members of the Consortium for Cyber Innovation, which include ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and ��Vlog��ýPB. “We will work with Forge Institute and the Arkansas Cyber Defense Center on an awareness campaign and specialized training for our state’s small business community,” said Laura Fine, ASBTDC state director. “As online sales and digital activity continue to grow, helping businesses maximize their cybersecurity is a priority for us. ASBTDC is proud to be part of this collaborative effort to protect Arkansas businesses from cyber threats.” The pilot is expected to benefit Arkansas small businesses, many of which are vendors to critical infrastructure and therefore targets of organized crime and nation-state adversaries. “Cybersecurity preparedness is a critical issue for our small businesses,” SBA Arkansas District Director Edward Haddock said. “Each attack can cost a small business thousands in downtime, lost business opportunities and the professional services small businesses hire to mitigate the security breach.” Huff said the first ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students will begin working as interns with the Forge Institute in October. “This is an excellent workforce opportunity for our students that will allow them to put their cybersecurity education to work while helping small businesses in the state protect themselves from cybersecurity threats,” Huff said. “This collaboration puts our students on the frontlines in cybersecurity to develop innovations that will improve cybersecurity for small businesses. This is the start of a valuable service that will help Arkansas’s small businesses for many years to come.”

Huff, Finzer to Speak at Annual Cybersecurity Summit

John Hill — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 17:43:41 +0000

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock leaders are slated to share their cybersecurity expertise during the annual Oct. 5-6. Dr. Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity, and Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, will both speak at the event along with important industry and government leaders, including Lee Watson, chairman and CEO of Forge Institute, U.S. Rep. French Hill, and Becky Passmore, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock adjunct computer science professor and cyber investigator at Kroll Industries. This two-day VIP event will showcase the state’s unique approach to develop collective cyber defenses, statewide cyber programs, workforce initiatives, and amazing topics on global events and their effect on our national security. Huff will speak at 3 p.m. Oct. 5. in “Fireside Chat: Partnerships for Securing IOT Systems.” Huff will talk about innovative solutions to improve the security of our nation’s critical infrastructure. Finzer will join a panel discussion, “Scaling the Trusted Pipeline,” at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 6. She will join fellow panelists Anthony Owen of Code.org, Joe Rollins of Northwest Arkansas Council, Tina Moore of the Arkansas Department of Education, and Robert Baker, director of Starbase AR at Forge Institute, in a discussion of how Arkansas is uniquely positioned to grow its own trusted workforce in cybersecurity due to collaborative leadership among the Consortium for Cyber Innovation, the , , the Arkansas Cyber Teaching Academy, and Data Analytics that are Robust and Trusted () consortium. The summit is expected to draw nearly 200 cybersecurity professionals across Arkansas in professional communities such as industry, critical infrastructure, academic, military, agency, and local and state government. The event’s focus will be on developing Arkansas as the Cyber Defense State. Topics will include a series of insightful discussions from cyber risk management, to geo-political events’ effect on adversary targeting of our nation’s infrastructure, workforce, and beyond. The summit is held by Forge Institute. As the nation’s leader in advancing cyber capabilities, Forge Institute hosts the Arkansas Cyber Summit as a way to bring community members together to discuss global cyber threats, workforce needs, and opportunities for Arkansas to better its cyber defenses and increase economic prosperity. The Forge Institute is also a long-time partner with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock on cybersecurity education and workforce development initiatives. Their most recent project has ��Vlog��ý Little Rock cybersecurity faculty members and students partnering with the Forge Institute on a project funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration that will help small businesses fight cybersecurity threats. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock also received a $1.96 million workforce development grant from the in the spring to form the Cyber Learning Network, a consortium among seven University of Arkansas System campuses to expand and diversify workforce education in emergent cyber technologies throughout the state of Arkansas and beyond. “This year’s summit is going to be incredible,” said Lee Watson, founder & CEO of Forge Institute. “We have a full list of Arkansas cybersecurity leaders, collaborators, and defenders and several national experts joining in the conversation. Plus, we’ll learn how recent geo-political events are shaping the idea of collective cybersecurity defense.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Awarded $1.96 Million Workforce Development Grant to Support a Regional Cyber Learning Network

John Hill — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:26:38 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $1.96 million workforce development grant to fund further development of the Cyber Learning Network (CyberLearN) – a regional cyber-learning partnership with six other schools in the University of Arkansas System to address Arkansas’s talent gap in cybersecurity. The CyberLearN partners include ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, ��Vlog��ý Pine Bluff, ��Vlog��ý – Pulaski Technical College, ��Vlog��ý Cossatot, ��Vlog��ý Hope-Texarkana, ��Vlog��ýCC Batesville, and ��Vlog��ýCC Morrilton. The Forge Institute, the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences, and SmartResume are also collaborating on the initiative. Gov. Asa Hutchinson awarded a total of $7.9 million in Large-Scale Workforce Development Grants to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and eight other organizations during a March 15 press conference at the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce. The grants were funded by the , a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. “We don’t have an unlimited source of funds in Arkansas for workforce training, so we want to invest it wisely,” Gov. Hutchinson said. “And you do that by partnering with industry to guide our training, our funding, so that it results in jobs.” CyberLearN leverages shared resources for the purposes of expanding and diversifying cyber workforce education in Arkansas. The consortium will provide more equitable access to cybersecurity education for Arkansas learners, aligning freshman and sophomore cybersecurity curriculum with ABET, a national accreditation board, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standards. CyberLearN partners will share instruction and create a common learning experience through standardized, hybrid-flexible learning spaces that will utilize the cloud-based . “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is proud to lead in creating the Cyber Learning Network, which will put Arkansas on the map for cybersecurity workforce education,” said Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This new consortium among academic and nonprofit partners will serve as a model to provide collaborative education and training opportunities across the state. We thank Gov. Hutchinson and the Office of Skills Development for this investment in Arkansas’s economic security and for providing our state with cyber talent for many years to come.” CyberLearN will drive economic development opportunities by providing robust talent pathways and creating opportunities to spur creative innovations. Arkansas currently has more than 3,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions listed on LinkedIn, and that number is expected to continue to grow. Now that Arkansas’s broadband initiatives have provided more internet access across the state, there are more opportunities for cybersecurity professionals to work remotely, which can provide a boost for rural communities. The workforce development grant builds on the commitment and spirit of last year’s ��Vlog��ý System announcement of a $900,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to boost the state’s statewide workforce recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 growth through the creation of the ��Vlog��ý System Workforce Response and Training Center. That grant included nine ��Vlog��ý System institutions, led by the Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, to collect and analyze statewide workforce data and use outcomes to provide existing and bolstered education and training efforts through all seven of the ��Vlog��ý System’s two-year colleges, along with two colleges of technology at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (��Vlog��ýM). “This is a shining example of the synergy that’s possible by harnessing ��Vlog��ý System resources in a collaborative and innovative fashion to continue bolstering the growth of a world-class, highly skilled workforce in Arkansas,” said Chris Thomason, vice president for planning and development for the ��Vlog��ý System. “When we’re able to pool the resources and talent within the ��Vlog��ý System close to Arkansas citizens and in our communities, the momentum that’s created can have a much larger impact on the state’s economic growth and within Arkansas families.” In order to support this economic and workforce development potential, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and its academic partners are providing stackable certificates, which are a set of professional credentials that can be stacked into more advanced certificate and degree programs or may be earned by Arkansas workers wishing to upskill or reskill. Stackable certificates are an innovative way for institutions of higher education to serve working students by providing them with distinct skill sets and manageable motivators on their way to a two-year or four-year degree. “COVID has changed a lot of how we operate in higher education, and this program shows a positive adaptation in meeting the needs of today’s learners,” said Dr. Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The workforce needed in cybersecurity is so great right now, and we can’t simply tell the industry to wait four more years for us to provide you with a pipeline of talent when they need it yesterday. These stackable certificates address the immediate need, and also open up new academic paths if a student chooses to continue their education.” The certificate programs, the first of which is pending approval for the Fall 2022 semester, include two certificates of proficiency in cybersecurity fundamentals that “stack” into a technical certificate and associate degree. By completing these foundational certificates, learners will be ready to enroll in upper-level specialized certificates in areas like data security, digital forensics, cybersecurity operations, and software security. These certificates are designed to provide college students and workers with a road to lifelong learning with personalized pathways to learn skills that meet both learner and employer needs. “Higher education should seize every viable opportunity to increase efficiency in the delivery of educational services contributing to workforce education. CyberLearN is exactly this kind of opportunity,” Dr. Albert Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “It has been, and continues to be, energizing to collaborate on this opportunity to build efficiencies in the development of the Arkansas workforce in the emerging and evermore critically important cybersecurity industry.” While ��Vlog��ý System campuses will provide space and construction and renovation costs for the training operation centers, the grant will provide computer equipment and supplies, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena cloud access for all students, curriculum and instructional design, and tuition and fees for 100 new learners. An additional eight more scholarships will go to instructors from two-year colleges to earn ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s new graduate certificate in cybersecurity education in an effort to expand the cybersecurity teacher workforce in the state. Dr. Steve Cole, chancellor of ��Vlog��ý Cossatot, said one of his biggest worries is how to combat the cyber-attacks that are happening all around the world. This new partnership with CyberLearN will bring education and training opportunities directly to ��Vlog��ý Cossatot and other two-year colleges across the state. Having a skilled workforce that can respond to cyber threats will ensure a resilient economy in Arkansas. “Cybercrime just doesn’t touch large corporations, it even touches the small business owner with one employee,” Cole said. “To combat cybercrime, we must build a workforce of cybersecurity experts, and CyberLearN seeks to address this huge skills gap. Community colleges like ours find it extremely difficult sometimes to start new, technology-rich programs due to the high costs involved and the lack of available instruction, but a collaborative effort like CyberLearN allows us to tap into the talent at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the Forge Institute to offer cybersecurity programming in our rural area. I am confident that, without this effort it would be difficult to offer a world-class program like this to many rural parts of the state like ours.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Forge Institute, and ��Vlog��ýPB Announce Creation of Consortium for Cyber Innovation

John Hill — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 14:04:49 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has partnered with the Forge Institute and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to establish the Consortium for Cyber Innovation (CCI) to meet the country’s growing need for skilled cybersecurity professionals. The consortium will develop and align cyber education and grow applied research capabilities throughout the state. The consortium partners will collaborate on workforce development, research, and innovation to create a strategic industry cluster in emerging technologies that will support national defense and enhance Arkansas as a Cyber Defense State and cybersecurity hub. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is proud to join the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the Forge Institute in an effort to scale and leverage resources towards workforce development, research, and innovation in cyber technologies,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale said. “Together, we are building the future of our state as we pursue the common goal of ensuring national security through strategic and collaborative workforce development, research, and innovation.” The Forge Institute develops capabilities to solve broad challenges in emerging technology, cybersecurity, and national security. Its experienced cyber operators and leadership team are leveraging their extensive national network to promote workforce training and research collaborations by joining forces with the academic resources at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and ��Vlog��ýPB. “The Consortium for Cyber Innovation is monumental to developing our high-tech workforce and developing new capabilities to prevent, detect, and mitigate emerging technology risks to businesses, including our nation’s critical infrastructure,” said Lee Watson, CEO of the Forge Institute. “Both campuses already have outstanding undergraduate and graduate computer science programs, cybersecurity resources, and world-class faculty. We’re excited to lend our expertise to this very important endeavor which will help fill the coming 3.4 million job gap.” Cybercrime is a growing threat that is expected to cost the world more than $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, according to Watson. This increase in cyberattacks is expected to open 3.4 cybersecurity positions in the next few years. There are already 1,400 open positions in Arkansas, and more than 467,000 open positions in cybersecurity in the U.S., Watson said. This collaboration expands an existing successful collaboration between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Forge Institute. Students who complete the Forge Institute’s IT/Cyber Fundamentals professional development course can apply to receive three credit hours in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s recently launched bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity. This recognition of learning outside of higher education is a bold step towards how colleges and universities can modernize their curricula to meet the needs of today’s students and industry. “We’re extremely excited to build this collaboration with Forge Institute,” said Dr. Brian Berry, vice provost for research and dean of the Graduate School at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “We view cybersecurity as an important field of study for our students, and the expertise Forge Institute lends offers a real-world perspective that can’t be simulated in the classroom.” The CCI builds on existing partnerships among the Forge Institute, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (U of A) that have already resulted in National Security Agency (NSA)-funded academic training and research programs. This includes the GenCyber summer camp for 7-12 graders, the Healthcare Cybersecurity Certification research project, and a new graduate certificate in cybersecurity education. Congressman French Hill said the creation of the CCI is a giant step in making Arkansas more competitive in cyber innovation, and that he is looking forward to following the consortium’s continued growth and success.

Dr. Al Baker, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock computer science chair, discusses a collaboration with ��Vlog��ýPB and the Forge Institute to establish the Consortium for Cyber Innovation with the purpose of developing and aligning cyber education and growing applied research capabilities in the state. Photo by Ben Krain.

“The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff have taken steps to create a nurturing environment to promote computer science and cyber innovation,” Congressman Hill said. “This collaboration will take their commitment one step further.” Future research projects will include developing next-generation artificial intelligence capabilities to manage cybersecurity threats to both critical infrastructure and military and national defense networks. Advanced machine learning technologies will increase efficiency and expand near-term industry use of readily-available quantum computing capabilities. The CCI also plans to create a Strategic Initiative Office that will allow the consortium to obtain and manage large-scale federal funding for creating a sustainable network of education and research efforts in emerging technology and national defense. “As our state’s land grant, Historically Black University, ��Vlog��ýPB looks to contribute to the CCI’s strategic initiatives in a number of ways,” ��Vlog��ýPB Chancellor Laurence Alexander said. “Our expectation is that our university’s priorities of expanding computer education and the cyber workforce will lead to a more diverse industry workforce, reaching many of our underrepresented population. As such, the consortium will help build regional capacity to support economic growth and development across various industry sectors as the state recovers from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Industry partners who join the CCI can help in a number of ways, Watson said. They can hire new talent, especially Arkansas graduates, mentor students, bring in interns, help fund student research, and advise educators who are developing classes. David McCoy, principal security analyst, incident response commander, and head of forensics and investigation at Acxiom, a data management, data science, and privacy technology company, represented Acxiom as a founding industry partner. “I’m extremely honored to represent Acxiom in this effort to join these different entities together,” McCoy said. “The industry has been growing, to say the least, and to the point where you need formal tracks to get into what I do. We are getting into more formal education programs, which is going to be amazing, not only to the state of Arkansas but to the United States. Acxiom is super excited to join into this collaboration across industry’s public and private sectors sharing information, which is something we all need to do because the threats are real.” Globally, cybersecurity has become a trillion dollar industry with career opportunities open to thousands of Arkansans. Because of the state’s deep experience with data management, logistics, fintech, and other data-driven industries, Arkansas is well positioned to become a rallying point for the nation’s cybersecurity efforts. These opportunities produce good paying jobs for Arkansans. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is committed to growing a talented workforce of highly skilled cyber professionals in Central Arkansas,” Drale said. “Directly related to that effort is the applied research of our nationally recognized faculty in cybersecurity, including research on social media threats by our Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies. This collaboration sets the stage for additional partnerships and initiatives, and that will establish Arkansas as a national leader in cybersecurity and related emerging technologies.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock will offer cybersecurity certificate through higher education partnership

John Hill — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 14:34:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is partnering with a higher education consortium led by the University of Louisville to offer an online Cybersecurity Workforce Certificate program funded by the National Security Agency (NSA). ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was chosen to participate in this project because of the college’s earned designation as an NSA Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. “We are excited to work on this workforce program,” said Dr. Mariofanna Milanova, the project lead for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a professor of computer science. “It will better position our state and country to defend against cyber adversaries.” As a part of the NSA grant, first responders, including police officers, EMTs, firefighters, and healthcare workers, and military veterans can participate in the program at no cost. In addition to the certificate, participants will be able to earn industry-recognized badges from tech leaders such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM. The certificate program focuses on enhancing student knowledge in the realm of cybersecurity foundational courses, while using healthcare data examples and use cases. Participants may complete a total of 24 modules during the six-month program. The modules will cover topics like artificial intelligence, cyber threat hunting, network security, data mining, blockchain, digital forensics, database security, cloud security, Internet of Things, post quantum cryptography, risk analysis, and robotics process automation analysis. ”There are three levels in this certification,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity. “The explorer level provides foundational training in cybersecurity for IT professionals seeking to improve their understanding of cybersecurity. The practitioner level includes training for working in cybersecurity operations and includes topics in network security, cyber threat hunting, and forensics. Then the professional level includes several advanced topics in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud security.” The program is offered asynchronously online and includes virtual labs developed through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena. Although fully online, instructors are available through virtual office hours, and each student will be assigned a success coach. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is working with the , a nonprofit organization that specializes in developing private-public partnerships that advance cyber operational objectives, to help test the cybersecurity curriculum through its existing cybersecurity boot camp, where participants are trained to become cybersecurity analysts. Researchers at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena, an education and simulation model laboratory for cybersecurity learning, are developing next-generation tools for delivering and assessing the cybersecurity curriculum for the certificate program. This will provide an exciting research opportunity for students who are entering the new bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity that begins this fall. Each cohort has 40 spots available. The next cohort start dates are Nov. 22, 2021; Jan. 24, 2022; and March 14, 2022. Those interested may visit to apply for the Cybersecurity Workforce Certificate program. For more information, contact Sandra Leiterman at saleiterman@ualr.edu or visit the .

Forge Institute Partners with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Cyber Arena to support NSA-sponsored Cybersecurity Summer Camp in Arkansas

John Hill — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:45:14 +0000

The has announced a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s , the cybersecurity-focused lab within the Department of Computer Science. The initiative will support the first National Security Agency (NSA)-sponsored GenCyber Summer Camp in Arkansas for 7th-12th graders. The free cybersecurity summer camp is part of an initiative that brings educators, industry, and state leaders together to drive interest and long-term investment in secondary school cybersecurity education. It is funded by a $100,000 grant from the NSA. “This program provides students with an engaging experience,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “This unique camp ensures a fun time for students at all levels of technical ability. We want each student to come away feeling excited and confident about cybersecurity. The Cyber Arena provides experiences in phishing, ransomware, cryptography, forensics, and many more types of hands-on technologies. Plus, each day students reflect on ethical questions in cybersecurity and data privacy, learning through recent events. We hope to send campers back home pumped up to learn more about cybersecurity classes offered at their schools.” Forge Institute is providing instructors and guest speakers from its vast network of subject matter experts. The organization is also assisting with curriculum development by providing insight to spark the interest of the camp’s participants and encourage their pursuit of a career in cybersecurity. “This is going to be an exciting two weeks for all of the participants,” said Scott Anderson, executive director of Forge Institute. “They will have an opportunity to hear from experts in cybersecurity from across the nation and come away with more awareness of what a career in cybersecurity looks like. This is a fantastic opportunity for Arkansas students. I am hoping many will choose a career in IT or cybersecurity. Events like these are essential to growing the state’s pipeline of talent that our organizations need to protect their systems and networks. We are excited about Arkansas’s first GenCyber Summer Camp and our partnership with the awesome team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, who is making cybersecurity education a priority for their faculty, students, and the state’s future workforce.” Forge Institute has helped promote this opportunity and will be involved throughout the execution of the camp, along with post-camp activities to hopefully make this an annual event.��

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Partners with Forge Institute to Grow Skilled Cybersecurity Workforce

John Hill — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 19:11:10 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Forge Institute have partnered to strengthen the cybersecurity workforce development in Arkansas by providing academic credit for those who complete professional development courses in cybersecurity at the Forge Institute. Under the terms of the recently signed collaboration agreement, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will award successful graduates of the Forge Institute’s IT/Cybersecurity Fundamentals certificate academic credit towards a bachelor’s degree in computer science or cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “This is truly an exciting and innovative opportunity for the IT workforce in Arkansas,” said Dr. Al Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I thank Forge Institute for providing invaluable advice as we have built our programs and curricula in cybersecurity in the Department of Computer Science. The partnership is strong and growing.” Each institution has thoroughly reviewed the curriculum and mapped academic requirements to corresponding aspects of Forge Institute’s professional development program.�� The first Forge Institute course that is eligible for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock course credit is IT/Cyber Fundamentals. Those participants who successfully complete the Forge Institute course can receive three hours of academic credit for CSEC 1310, Intro to Cybersecurity, which is a required course for the bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. “We are excited to further expand our partnership with Professor Philip Huff, Dr. Al Baker, Dr. Erin Finzer, and the team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Lee Watson, chairman and CEO of Forge Institute. “This rather unique relationship will further cement Arkansas as a leader in cybersecurity and help provide the skilled talent pipeline required by the private and public sector employers.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is designated an academic center of excellence by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “This is an exciting collaboration for us as we begin a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree in the fall,” said Philip Huff, professor of cybersecurity in the Department of Computer Science. “The overwhelming demand for cybersecurity professionals requires us to reimagine how we in higher education design our programs. This partnership between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Forge Institute creates a two-way path between cybersecurity professionals and our cybersecurity degree program programs. We are working together to prepare students for an exciting and challenging profession.” For more information, visit . In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock visitors tour the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Gym, which opened in December 2019. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock partners with Forge Institute, U of A to Advance Applied Research In Cybersecurity to Support National Defense

John Hill — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 22:51:43 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is partnering with the and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, to advance applied research in areas that support national defense, including cybersecurity. This partnership is a first-of-its-kind opportunity in Arkansas and will lead to competitive research, collaboration opportunities, and create a platform for economic growth and job creation. The partnership will focus on next-generation cybersecurity defensive capabilities for industrial control systems (ICS/SCADA) to further the protection of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Initial university collaborators will be Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and Dr. Chris Farnell, managing director of the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) testbed at U of A. “The Emerging Analytics Center at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has been working with the Forge Institute for over a year,” Huff said. “We are pleased to extend this collaborative effort to work on some of the nation’s most challenging cybersecurity artificial intelligence problems. This collaboration will enable access to applied research opportunities for Arkansas students and research faculty.” The joint team will leverage the capabilities of the , the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) testbed at U of A, and the professional and experienced team and capabilities of the Forge Institute. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and U of A are designated as academic centers of excellence by the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The U of A is also a U.S. Department of Energy center of academic excellence. This collaboration brings together the best resources, research, and capabilities of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and U of A, along with the unique capabilities and relationships of the Forge Institute. Forge Institute will collaborate with key researchers to enable access to unique research opportunities in support of the nation’s national defense. “We are excited to partner with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and ��Vlog��ý Fayetteville to develop innovative solutions that will help address our nation’s complex and growing cyber and national security challenges,” said Lee Watson, chairman and CEO of Forge Institute. “By connecting to and building upon the existing cyber and defense sector in the State, we are establishing a foundation to drive innovation that will directly lead to high-paying jobs for Arkansans. I’m excited about this collaboration and how it will better position our state and country to defend against advanced cyber adversaries and grow the State’s economy.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock joins coalition to launch health care cybersecurity curriculum and pilot focused on veterans and first responders

John Hill — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 19:53:57 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is part of a coalition of universities and industry partners that are developing a curriculum to increase cybersecurity talent focused on health care with $6.3 million in funding from the National Security Agency.�� Vlog��ý Little Rock will work with the University of Louisville, the University of North Florida, Bluegrass Technical and Owensboro Technical, the , and a coalition of industry partners to develop a training curriculum focused on health care cybersecurity. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will receive $640,000 for the three-year grant. “As health care data generation becomes increasingly complex, it is absolutely critical that patient health information be secure and protected. Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies enable new methods of data protection,” said Dr. Mariofanna Milanova, professor of computer science and principal investigator on the grant for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The pilot phase of the health care cybersecurity workforce certificate initially will provide free�� training for 200 first responders and military veterans. The certificate incorporates technology industry badging from Microsoft, IBM, and Google as well as hands-on applied learning and gamification components. Participants will learn how to protect information systems used by patients, providers, and payers in the health care industry.

Lee Watson, CEO of Forge Institute

��Vlog��ý Little Rock will work with the Forge Institute, a nonprofit organization that specializes in developing private-public partnerships that advance cyber operational objectives. The Forge Institute will help test the cybersecurity curriculum through its existing cybersecurity boot camp, where participants are trained to become cybersecurity analysts. “Our team is proud of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for being selected to participate in this research consortium led by the University of Louisville,” said Lee Watson, CEO of Forge Institute. “The team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has a deep bench of capability in researching and developing new tools and models for education delivery. This collaboration between the Forge Institute and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will allow us to develop, better tailor, and test cybersecurity curriculum for the veteran and first responder communities.” Program participants will complete the three-level certificate program in six months through online courses led by instructors from coalition institutions, gaining expertise in artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, internet of things (IoT), machine learning. and other areas.

Philip Huff

The curriculum will employ innovative training tools including gamification and make use of anonymous datasets and use cases provided by industry partners. Once developed, the curriculum will be available to other institutions free of charge for one year. The first cohort of 30-40 students is expected to be enrolled in spring 2021.�� Each of the schools in the coalition is a NSA-designated and contributes interests, experience, and skills aligned with health care cybersecurity systems. Researchers at the , an education and simulation model laboratory for cybersecurity learning, will develop next-generation tools for delivering and assessing the cybersecurity curriculum. This will provide an exciting research opportunity for students who are entering the new bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity that will begin in the fall 2021 semester. “I’m excited to work on this research project with the NSA. As a 15+ year veteran in cybersecurity, I have seen first-hand the challenges of developing a qualified workforce,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of computer science and cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Cybersecurity is a complex field, because the tools, tactics, and techniques criminals use are ever evolving. To help address this concern, we will be developing training on cutting-edge technologies to help grow a more competitive cybersecurity workforce.” The upper right photo shows Dr. Mariofanna Milanova. Photo by Ben Krain.

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����Vlog��ý Little Rock partners with Forge Institute, U of A to Advance Applied Research In Cybersecurity to Support National Defense

����Vlog��ý Little Rock joins coalition to launch health care cybersecurity curriculum and pilot focused on veterans and first responders