Teens Learn about Cybersecurity through UB Program

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- More than 1,100 students and teachers took part in interactive workshops introducing them to the growing and complex field of cybersecurity, through programs conducted this past year by the University at Buffalo School of Management.

The School of Management’s Western New York Cybersecurity Workshop Outreach program, funded through a partnership with Time Warner Cable, is led by David Murray, associate professor of management science and systems.

Murray conducted 47 workshop sessions at 12 different middle and high schools throughout Western New York during the 2010-11 school year, featuring live demonstrations of cybersecurity equipment, hand-on activities and basic lessons on a range of topics, including data encryption, wireless security, digital forensics, firewalls, steganography and strong passwords.

Cyber threats are on the rise, creating an urgent need for professionals with the technical and managerial skills to protect national and business interests, according to Murray. One way Murray hopes to help meet this escalating demand is by introducing bright young students, including girls and minorities, to the subject of information assurance through the workshops, and encouraging them to pursue career opportunities in the burgeoning field.

The workshops draw upon the expertise in the School of Management’s MBA option in information assurance, its Sleiman Information Assurance Laboratory and the UB Center of Excellence in Information Systems Assurance Research and Education, which is recognized as a national center of excellence by the National Security Agency.

The Cybersecurity Workshop Outreach program was piloted with a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded to H.R. Rao, professor of management science and systems, as well as two other UB professors, Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen, professor of geography, and Shambhu Upadhyaya, professor of computer science and engineering.

The partnership with Time Warner Cable will run through 2012 and has helped expand the program throughout local, city and suburban schools. Workshops may be conducted at participating schools or through student field trips to the University at Buffalo. For more information, contact David Murray at djmurray@buffalo.edu.

The UB School of Management is recognized for its emphasis on real-world learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of its faculty, students and alumni. The school has been ranked by Bloomberg Businessweek, the Financial Times, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and The Wall Street Journal for the quality of its programs and the return on investment it provides its graduates. For more information about the UB School of Management, visit mgt.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.